A  Manual  on  the  Propagation 

And  Cultivation  of 

the  Faeony 

By 
C»S»  Harrison 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


<iA  MANUAL 


ON  THE  PROPAGATION 
AND    CULTIVATION   OF 


PAEONY 


By*  C.  S.  HARRISON 

YORK    A*     NEBRASKA 


REPUBLICAN,   YORK,   NEBR. 


252973 


FLORAL   TREASURE  AND  RUBRA  TRIUMPHANS 


€  S.  Harrison's  Pacony  manual 


K.  S.  Damson's 


INTRODUCTION 


("Let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us.") 

How  can  it  be,  unless  we  give  it  a  hearty  invitation  and  a  cordial  wel- 
come. Over  every  home,  hamlet  and  farm  there  hangs  a  divine  ideal  of 
what  the  place  should  be,  just  as  the  plan  of  the  stately  building  hangs 
in  the  office  of  the  architect.  Pull  down  the  plan  and  work  to  it,  and 
you  will  be  amazed  at  the  result.  All  around  us  are  surprises  of  loveli- 
ness, if  we  would  only  let  them  reveal  themselves.  How  rich  we  would 
be  if  we  could  only  reach  out  and  take  our  own! 

I  am  the  child  of  a  King.  My  hoe  is  a  magician's  wand.  I  touch 
the  earth,  and  lo,  thousands  of  forms  of  loveliness  spring  up  to  salute 
me.  When  I  work,  there  thrills  through  my  soul  the  ache  and  eagerness 
of  the  overshadowing  love  to  give  a  revelation  of  His  gifts  of  beauty  to 
the  world. 

The  good  Lord  never  has  had  a  chance  to  glorify  and  cheer  this 
somber  earth 

I  love  to  work,  to  get  near  the  heart  of  good  old  Mother  Nature 
and  go  into  her  inner  temple  and  help  her  work  her  miracles.  We  tread 
on  the  verge  of  a  vast  empire,  whose  splendors  are  just  coming  to  our 
vision.  We  have  reached  a  point  where  we  can  do  great  things.  The 
parents  of  our  great  families  of  flowers  are  ready  to  give  us  a  new 
progeny. 

In  summer  my  place  is  a  garden  of  delight.  I  believe  in  adorning 
Beulah  Land  which  lies  on  the  hither  shore,  that  it  may  give  a  forecast 
of  the  glory  beyond.  The  heavens  are  the  flower  gardens  of  God,  each 
sun  shining  in  its  own  robes  of  splendor.  One  is  a  sapphire,  and  that 
a  glowing  amethyst.  There  is  an  opal,  and  beyond  an  emerald.  There 
is  a  blazing  topaz,  and  there  swings  a  flashing  diamond.  When  the 
great  Horticulturist  drove  His  plowshare  through  the  fields  of  azure  He 
sowed  the  furrows  with  stars 

The  Author  of  beauty  has  great  treasures  of  loveliness  down  here  if 
we  will  only  reach  out  and  take  them.  Less  than  six  years  ago  my  place 
was  a  patch  of  rank  weeds.  Now,  every  morning,  from  early  spring  till 
the  hard  frosts  of  autumn,  thousands  of  flowers  salute  me.  The  Paeonys 
are  in  their  glory,  50,000  in  400  varieties,  many  of  them  entirely  new. 
Here  at  the  door  stands  queenly  Festiva  Maxima,  white  as  the  soul  of 
the  Madona,  with  now  and  then  a  blood  drop,  as  though  the  iron  had 
some  time  entered  her  heart.  What  a  marvelous  flower,  seveji  inches 
across.  Close  by  is  a  La  Tulipe.  Never  flower  had  such  a  bud,  with  its 
interlacing  of  green  and  crimson,  growing  more  and  more  pronounced 
till  the  great  ball  opens,  flooding  the  air  with  fragrance.  There  is  Baron- 
ess Schroder,  one  of  the  most  ethereally  delicate,  and  yet  hardy.  What 
rose  can  match  it?  And  in  the  center  the  lingerings  of  gold,  from  which 
come  exhalations  of  sweetest  perfume.  There  stands  Terry's  Carnation 
on  dress  parade,  and  yonder  Tecumseh,  and  the  radiant  Pottsi.  Nor 


Pacony  manual  3 

are  those  of  Nebraska  birth  far  behind.  There  is  Golden  Harvest,  the 
whole  plant  striving  to  cover  itself  with  garments  of  bloom.  Floral 
Treasure  is  a  fragrant  hemisphere  of  delicate  pink,  fading  to  white. 
We  cannot  name  them.  My  400  are  much  better  dressed  and  better 
l>ehaved  than  the  other  "400"  we  read  of. 

Billows  of  fragrance  load  all  the  air,  and  these  thousands  of  thous- 
ands seem  in  the  distance  a  vast  carpet  of  a  grace  and  splendor  too  good 
for  earth,  fit  to  be  pressed  with  the  feet  of  angels. 

Look  this  way,  and  you  see  great  fields  of  columbines,  of  fifty  varie- 
ties in  one  fascinating  blend  of  loveliness.  There  the  Coerelia  we  see 
in  the  Rockies,  photograph  of  heaven's  deepest  blue  and  the  fleecy 
clouds.  There  is  one  of  pure  gold,  such  as  we  saw  blooming  in  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park.  These  are  not  enough  appreciated.  Don't  be  stingy 
with  them.  Plant  great  masses,  and  they  will  be  two  months  in  bloom. 
There  is  a  field  of  oriental  perennial  poppies.  They  are  of  dazzling, 
flame-like  brilliancy,  some  of  the  flowers  nearly  eight  inches  across,  and 
inside  the  most  delicate  penciling  and  tracing  all  done  up  in  jet.  It  is 
astonishing  how  much  exquisite  and  artistic  work  nature  has  put  out  on 
each  blossom. 

Then  comes  the  procession  of  thousands  of  Gaillardias,  with  smil- 
ing, open  faces,  blooming  all  summer,  pansies  in  almost  infinite  variety. 
Then  come  the  blessed  phloxes,  then  gladioluses,  cannas  and  dahlias,  a 
great,  worshipful  host.  I  go  through  them  all  and  wonder  if  this  is  my- 
self, the  hard-working  man  on  whose  shoulders  sit  more  than  three  score 
and  ten  years.  Is  it  a  miracle?  Retiring  from  professional  labors  with 
nerves  worn  threadbare,  in  poor  health,  with  hardly  any  means,  yet  with 
"heart  within  and  God  overhead,"  with  skilled  hands,  willing  brothers 
of  the  brain,  so  much  has  been  accomplished,  and  I  am  in  wonder- 
land. A  case  like  this  should  be  an  encouragement  to  the  home-maker. 


ttlby  this  manual  is  Written 

FIRST.  Because  there  is  no  work  on  the  subject  in  the  English 
language. 

SECOND.      Because  there  ought  to  be. 

Having  watched  these  flowers  summer  and  winter,  and  boarded  with 
them,  studying  their  wants  and  characteristics,  and  finding  out  the  most 
successful  modes  of  culture  and  propagation,  I  feel  that  they  should  be 
more  fully  introduced  to  the  public. 

To  me  it  seems  that  their  hardiness,  fragrance,  adaptability,  su- 
preme beauty  and  ease  of  propagation  place  them  in  advance  of  all  other 
flowers.  Again,  they  have  a  mission  in  the  great,  bleak  northwest,  where 
they  succeed  most  admirably,  the  very  best  of  all,  where  so  many  others 
fail 

This  is  not  copyrighted.  Quote  all  you  like  from  it,  simply  giving 
credit  for  it.  We  would  not  put  chains  on  the  sweet  Evangel  of  beauty. 
Let  it  go  forth  to  cheer  and  brighten  the  world. 


4  €.  $.  garrison's 

CHAPTER  I 

Ulftat  the  English  Say 

The  following  is  taken  from  Kelway's  Manual,  probably  the  finest 
ever  published.  The  Kelways  are  paeony  princes,  and  have  done  much 
to  bring  these  glorious  flowers  to  the  front.  Both  Queen  Victoria  and 
Alexandria  have  paid  high  tribute  to  their  efforts. 

HERBACEOUS  PAEONYS.  —  If  you  look  out  "Paeony"  in  a  common  or  garden  diction- 
ary, you  will  find  therein  the  bald  information  that  it  belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  Crow- 
foots—Crowfeet seems  a  etter  plural,  but  that  is  neither  here  nor  there— and  that  the 
flower  is  named  after  one  Paeon,  a  physician,  who  first  used  it  medicinally  "One  Paeon" 
must  be  looked  for  in  the  dim  obscurity  of  legendary  ages.  In  days  mediaeval,  when  sim- 
ples were  so  curative  and  faith  so  strong,  the  Paeony  was  known  as  a  gallant  herb  of  the 
Sun,  under  the  Lion,  good  for  the  falling  sickness,  the  black  seeds  thereof  being  taken  at 
bedtime,  possessing  great  virtue  against  the  incubus;  "but  we  doe  commonly  calle  it  ye 
nightmare,"  wrote  an  old  scribe.  Infused  in  sack,  and  drunk  before  and  after  the  new 
moon,  it  was  sovereign  against  weakness  in  the  back;  while,  in  the  case  of  children,  the 
surest  way  to  ease  them  was  to  hang  a  bit  of  the  root  about  the  neck.  Even  it.  those  archaic 
times  the  flower  was  known  by  the  name  it  bears  unto  this  day,  and  we  must  go  yet  further 
back  into  the  mists  of  antiquity  for  its  title,  for  our  Paeon  was  the  physician  who  minis- 
tered to  the  wounds  re:eived  in  the  Trojan  war,  and  the  heroes  to  whom  he  ministered 
were  none  other  than  the  immortal  gods  themselves.  The  Paeony  is  a  native  of  Siberia 
and  the  whole  of  northern  Asia,  of  Southern  France,  and  of  Spain.  One  species  has  long 
been  known  to  grow  on  an  island,  called  the  Steep  Holme,  in  the  mouth  of  the  Severn  sea, 
but  I  should  judge  its  presence  there  to  be  purely  accidental.  I  should  hardly  think  it  is 
indigenous  to  that  frowning  but  friendly  shelter.  Herbaceous  Paeonys  should  be  in  every 
garden;  of  that  there  can  be  no  doubt.  What  would  a  cottage  garden  be  worth  in  May 
time  without  its  rich,  red  "Pyannies?"  But  these — their  high-sounding  scientific  name 
being  Paeonia  ofncinalis  are  but  the  type  of  the  beautiful  flowers  that  are  the  result  of 
years  of  patient  cultivation,  and  the  marvelous  developments  that  have*  been  made  in  the 
last  decade  are  truly  remarkable.  The  old  red  Paeony  has  a  strong,  pungent  savour,  tonic 
and  stimulating,  perhaps,  but  not  one  that  would  be  distilled  for  scenting  a  lace  handker- 
chief, withal;  whereas  in  the  case  of  the  new  kinds,  hybridization  and  intercrossing  have 
changed  all  that,  and  the  Paeony  must  henceforward  rank  amongst  the  scented  flowers. 
These  beautiful  and  most  decorative  plants  are,  I  am  assured  by  a  noted  grower,  as  hardy 
as  paving  stones.  They  are,  moreover,  of  the  easiest  possible  culture,  and  amenable  to  the 
treatment  ordinarily  meted  out  to  herbaceous  plants,  never  dainty  in  their  requirements,  and 
flourishing  exceedingly  well  in  the  most  ordinary  garden  soil.  I  i  now  where  the  very 
Paeonys  grow  from  which  this  photograph  was  taken.  I  could  name  dozens  of  varieties  of 
this  perfect  flower,  and  rhapsodize  over  their  delicate  loveliness  with  great  satisfaction  to 
mys  elf,  but  here  I  must  content  me  with  naming  six  different  kinds,  of  distinct  characteris- 
tics, and  here  they  are:  Lady  Beresford  is  a  large-flowered  variety  of  a  shade  of  softest 
blush,  which  might  be  even  called  white  by  a  careless  observer.  It  is  the  tips  of  the  petals 
which  are  so  softly  pink,  and  at  their  bases  they  deepen  into  buff.  Olivia  is  a  truly  lovely 
flower,  yellow  at  first  sight,  but  a  closer  view  discloses  the  fact  that  the  guard  petals 
are  white  and  very  broad,  enclosing  a  center  of  sulphur,  a  peculiar  and  most  delicately  tinc- 
tured blossom.  Bioni  is  another  uncommonly  shaped  blossom,  with  guard  petals  of  deli- 
cate blush,  enclosing  thread-like  segments  as  "raggedy"  as  a  Japanese  chrysanthe  •<  um 
These  segments  differ  in  color  from  their  guard,  being  cream.  Sainfoin  is  a  very  brilliant 
flower  of  deep  rose  color,  a  striking  contrast  to  the  others  just  named.  Labolas  is  rose, 
purple  dyed,  with  short  inner  petals  tipped  with  gold,  a  dream  of  regal  sunset. 

Lyde  is  a  rose-colored  flower,  with  a  paler  center,  pink  tinted,  and  with  it  I  must  close 
my  list  for  lack  of  space.  This  flower  has  the  most  powerful  yet  delicate  scent  of  pure  rose 
attar.  It  is  like  the  concentrated  essence  of  all  the  rose  gardens  of  Persia.  Some  of  the 
Paeonys  have  a  scent  that  seems  compounded  of  roses  and  violets,  others  are  reminiscent  of 
roses  and  summer  chrysanthemums,  but  Lyde  is  all  rose-scent  throughout,  and  of  the  very 
purest  quality  at  that.  — The  Ladies'  Field. 

THK  MANY-SIDED  PAEONY.— The  Paeony  is  among  garden  flowers  what  the  mocking 
bird  is  among  birds.  In  acquiring  its  right  to  range  as  a  flower  of  to-day  it  has  stolen  the 


Paeony  manual  5 

perfume  of  the  rose,  and  stolen  the  tints  and  shapes  of  petal  from  many  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  our  summer  flowers  Without  the  Paeony,  therefore,  no  flower  garden  is  complete. 
There  are  two  kinds  of  Paeony,  the  Herbaceous  and  the  Tree  Paeony,  and  they  have  their 
legendary  lore  like  all  aristocrats  of  the  garden.  .  .  .  Down  at  Langport,  in  Somer- 

set, there  are  three  generations  of  the  Kelways,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  tramp  with  either 
one  or  the  other,  father,  son,  or  grandson,  over  their  broad  acres  of  Paeonys  and  Gladioli.  In 
your  walk  you  make  a  close  acquaintance  with  all  manner  of  flowers.  Naturally  the  first 
trek  is  for  Paeonys.  "You  cannot  very  well  kill  them,"  is  the  reply  to  our  question.  "They 
are  as  tough  as  a  Scotch  thistle,  and  as  full  of  vigor  as  a  common  marigold  "  "Yes,  those 
rows  after  rows  of  deep-colored  or  crimson  spikes  that  you  see  fighting  their  way  up  through 
the  earth  are  Paeonys  just  making  a  start  to  grow.  The  colors  vary  from  snow-white  to 
yellow,  yellow  to  pink,  and  pink  to  maroon;  also  there  are  purples  and  shades  of  violet,  but 
Nature  has  so  far  refused  to  produce  a  blue  variety.  Certainly  a  Paeony  can  give  you  a 
grand  spot  of  fresh  color  in  a  shady  corner,  for,  although  the  flower  enjoys  the  sun,  it  does 
not  object  to  the  shade.  Another  idea:  if  you  like  flowers  on  your  lawn,  but  do  not  want 
to  cut  up  the  green  by  placing  beds  here  and  there,  plant  Paeonys,  either  kind  does  well. 
The  Paeony  will  thrive  on  almost  any  soil.  Up  to  a  point  good  manure  intensifies  its 
color  and  improves  its  form.  \s  to  the  lifetime  —once  planted  the  plant  goes  on  growing, 
and  multiplies  exceedingly.  You  need  not  take  up  your  roots,  except  when  they  have 
grown  too  large  and  want  separating  The  selected  varieties  really  give  you  a  garden  of 
sweet-scented,  rose-shaped  flowers  before  the  roses  come  in,  as  well  as  a  little  forest  of  beau- 
tiful foliage,  for  the  color  of  its  leaves  is  often  as  lovely  as  the  bloom  of  many  flowers.  Then 
the  Herbaceous  Paeony,  with  its  beautiful  foliage,  is  most  suitable  for  church  decoration. 
There  are  almost  any  number  of  varieties.  For  thirty  years  we  have  crossed  and  re-crossed, 
married  and  given  in  marriage,  brothers,  sisters,  uncles,  aunts,  and  cousins,  for  in  the  plant 
world  there  is  a  natural  and  n  >t  an  ecclesiastical  law,  so  that  like  the  old  lady  in  the  shoe, 
we  have  so  many  children  that  sometimes  we  don't  know  what  to  do.  .  .  .  No  plant 
travels  better  than  the  Paeony." —Westminster  Budget,  1898. 


CHAPTER  II 


Letter  from  Wm.  Kelway.  The  Kelways  have  done  more  than  any 
other  family  to  bring  the  Paeony  up  to  its  present  position. 

LANGPORT,   ENG.,   SEPT.   3d,    1901 
MR.    C.   S.    HARRISON. 

DEAR  SIR: — In  reply  to  your  kind  solicitation  to  write  an  article  on 
the  Paeony  for  your  "International  Paeony  Book,"  I  must  tell  you  that 
it  is  quite  out  of  my  line,  but  it  is  particularly  interesting  to  note  the  va- 
rious forces  and  freaks  of  nature  exhibited  in  the  Paeony  from  the  effects 
of  cross  fertilization,  which  has  occupied  thousands  of  hours  of  my  life 
during  the  past  thirty  years.  To  notice  the  produce  of  parents  of  a  va- 
riety with  only  three  or  four  rows  of  petals,  with  its  stamens,  evolve  into 
petaloids,  and  then  again  noticing  the  produce  from  this  petaloid  parent 
with  its  petaloids  evolve  into  petals,  and  then  again  to  cross  fertilize  this 
variety,  and  to  notice  its  progress,  with  its  stigmas  evolved  into  petals, 
so  that  at  the  end  we  find  this  Paeony  with  its  beautiful  original  guard 
petals,  with  a  cushion  of  petals  instead  of  stamens,  and  surmounting  this 
cushion  petals,  as  in  Paeony  "Agnes  Mary  Kelway,"  evolved  from  the 
stigmas,  representing  a  comb  of  feathers  like  those  on  a  cockatoo's  head; 
to  know  that  one  is  handling  a  plant  that  bears  any  amount  of  heat  or 


6  €.  $.  garrison's 

cold,  that  will  grow  in  any  soil,  that  it  is  not  infested  with  any  fungus  or 
blight  or  vermin;  that  its  foliage  is  beautiful  in  early  spring,  coming  out 
of  the  cold  earth  various  shades  of  green,  red  and  purple,  just  at  the  time 
when  the  Daffodil  takes  the  winds  of  March  with  beauty.  And  so  it  goes 
on,  turning  to  the  deepest,  glaucous  green  in  June,  when  the  gorgeous 
flowers  surmount  the  noble  plants,  giving  such  an  array  of  magnificent 
blooms  in  every  shade  of  color  except  blue,  all  dying  off  into  lighter  tints 
in  July,  leaving  on  some  varieties  their  capsules,  which  when  open  show 
their  seeds  of  very  pretty  tints,  and  in  the  British  variety,  "Corallina," 
they  are  particularly  brilliant,  and  may  be  well  compared  to  Amethysts. 
The  leaves  at  the  same  time  change  to  crimson,  purple,  chrome,  and  a 
rich  brown,  shading  off  to  that  rich,  lighter  brown  which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  bracken  after  it  has  been  seasoned  with  the  winter's  blast.  Cross 
fertilizing  has  also  done  a  great  deal  to  increase  the  perfume  of  the  Pae- 
ony,  giving  to  a  numerous  variety  of  them  a  combination  of  the  scents 
of  the  Violet  and  the  Rose.  The  Paeony  has  a  longer  run  of  employ- 
ment for  decorations  than  any  other  plant,  the  shoots,  flowers  or  leaves 
being  in  use  from  March  to  November. 

Yours  Very  Respectfully,  WM.  KELWAY. 


We  have  just  received  the  following  letter  from  Superintendent  Bed- 
ford, of  the  experiment  farm  of  Brandon,  Manitoba.  As  we  are  at  work 
on  an  International  Paeony  Pamphlet,  and  desiring  to  make  it  as  com- 
plete as  possible,  we  are  sending  letters  to  different  parts  of  Europe  and 
Canada,  and  here  is  the  reply  kindly  given  by  Superintendent  S.  A.  Bed- 
ford: 

BRANDON,  MANITOBA,  Jan.  2,  1903. 
C.  S.  HARRISON. 

DEAR  SIR:  —  Your  letter  of  December  24th  received.  The  herba- 
ceous Paeonys  do  exceedingly  well  here.  Our  collection  is  a  small  one, 
but  we  find  no  difficulty  whatever  in  wintering  them,  even  without  pro- 
tection. We  simply  keep  them  free  from  grass  and  weeds,  and  let  na- 
ture do  the  rest.  In  my  opinion,  they  are  by  far  the  best  perennial  for 
cultivation  in  this  northern  climate.  Some  of  our  plants  have  as  many 
as  sixty  bunches  of  blossoms.  I  am  looking  forward  to  the  time  when 
we  will  have  a  complete  collection  of  this  beautiful  flower  here.  If  at 
any  time  you  wish  me  to  test  a  root  or  so,  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so.  I 
shall  try  and  send  you  a  cut  showing  some  of  the  Paeonys  growing  here. 
We  are  getting  a  very  large  immigration  from  the  United  States  to  this 
country,  and  you  can  tell  your  people  to  bring  the  Paeony  roots  along 
with  them,  as  they  grow  well  all  over  Manitoba  and  the  northwest.  We 
do  not  even  mulch  or  manure  our  plants.  The  soil  is  rich,  and  the  snow, 
though  not  deep,  is  sufficient  for  protection. 

Yours,  S.  A.  BEDFORD. 

This  testimony  is  also  substantiated  by  Dr.  William  Saunders,  gen- 
eral superintendent  of  all  the  experiment  stations.  I  have  been  sending 
some  to  Assiniboia,  a  province  lying  west  of  Manitoba,  where  they  also 
do  well.  A  friend  told  me  of  an  article  he  saw  concerning  their  successful 


Paccny  manual  7 

growth  in  Alaska.  So,  when  we  have  flowers  called  for  from  Mobile  to 
the  Arctic  circle,  we  need  not  fear  we  will  overstock  the  market  right 
away. 

4* 

U.   S.   EXPERIMENT  STATION, 
BROOKINGS,  S.  D.,  Feb.  26,  1902. 
MR.  C.  S.  HARRISON. 

DEAR  SIR: — I  was  glad  to  receive  your  letter  and  to  learn  that  you 
are  doing  so  much  in  ornamentals.  I  do  not  think  it  would  pay  you  to 
plant  any  cuttings  of  conicera  this  spring.  I  only  have  a  very  few  plants 
of  each  kind,  and  cuttings,  in  order  to  do  well,  should  be  planted  in  the 
fall.  At  least  that  has  been  my  experience.  In  bulletin  72  I  have  men- 
tioned my  experience  with  the  Paeony.  The  following  note  may  serve 
your  purpose:  The  Tree  Paeonys  are  tender,  and  winter  kill  in  the 
Northwest,  but  the  Herbaceous  Paeonys  are  perfectly  hardy  in  South 
Dakota  without  winter  protection.  We  have  many  varieties  under  culti- 
vation here,  and  all  appear  hardy,  and  flower  profusely.  Of  all  herba- 
ceous plants  the  Herbaceous  Paeony  should  be  the  first  one  to  plant  in 
the  garden  of  every  dweller  on  the  northwestern  prairies.  They  are  as 
hardy  as  pie  plant,  and  do  well  with  no  more  care  than  that  given  to  pie 
plant.  It  pays  to  manure  both  plants  for  the  best  results.  The  number 
of  cultivated  varieties  of  Paeonys  runs  up  to  a  thousand  or  more,  and  the 
list  is  continually  being  increased  by  the  raising  of  new  varieties  from 
seed.  This  will  be  an  interesting  line  of  work  for  the  amateur,  as  he 
may  obtain  varieties  superior,  or  at  least  equal  to,  any  of  the  many  sorts 
now  grown  by  nurserymen  and  florists,  but  the  planter  who  wants  a  sure 
thing  will  prefer  to  plant  named  sorts.  The  Paeony  is  steadily  gaining 
favor  with  florists  all  over  the  country,  and  some  plant  them  by  the  acre 
for  the  purpose  of  growing  flowers  in  quantities  for  market.  Some  peo- 
ple call  the  Paeony  the  "King  of  Flowers,"  but  this  title  is  probably 
claimed  by  many  other  flowers,  each  one  having  its  devoted  adherents. 
Yours  truly,  PROF.  N.  E.  HANSEN. 


CHAPTER  III 


Classification 

I  have  spent  much  time  in  the  endeavor  to  search  out  the  original 
families  of  this  remarkable  flower.  From  the  number  we  judge  that  there 
is  yet  great  room  for  progress,  and  perhaps  we  have  only  just  begun  with 
our  hybridizing.  By  permission  I  quote  from  J.  W.  Manning,  in 
"American  Gardening,"  of  March  5th,  for  which  I  tender  grateful  ac- 
knowledgment: 

"Until  the  forthcoming  Paeony  list  of  the  American  Paeony  Society 
is  published,  I  believe  quotation  of  variety  names  should  be  used  with 


8  €.  $.  garrison's 

great  care,  and  believe  that  the  best  interest  may  be  served  by  giving  the 
following  list  of  species  and  their  distinctive  characters: 

Paeonia  Albiflora,  PALLAS.  A  Siberian  species  introduced  about 
1756,  and  one  of  the  forerunners  of  the  hybrid  herbaceous  forms,  two  to 
three  feet  high,  with  deep,  rich  green,  often  veined  red,  leaflets,  and 
bearing  clusters  of  three  or  more  very  large,  broad,  overlapping  petaled 
white  to  light  pink  single  flowers,  and  showing  globular  masses  of  golden 
anthers  in  the  center  of  each.  June.  Reevesiana,  Fragrans,  Whitleya 
and  Festiva  show  close  affinity  to  this  species. 

Paeonia  Anomala,  LINN.  From  Europe  and  Asia,  with  finely  dis- 
sected, smooth  foliage.  Solitary,  single,  bright  crimson  flowers,  and 
distinct  in  the  large  size  of  the  petals  and  the  peculiar  compound,  leaf- 
like  sepals.  Two  feet.  May.  Its  varieties,  Insignis,  Peter  Barr,  Smoutti 
and  Intermedia  are  now  recognized,  being  more  distinct  in  the  character 
of  foliage  than  otherwise. 

Paeonia  Arietina,  ANDERS.  A  tall  south  European  species,  distinct 
in  the  stems,  being  hairy  toward  the  top ;  the  foliage  quite  glaucus  and 
downy  beneath.  The  flowers  are  large,  dark  red  and  solitary,  and  the 
seed  pods  are  prominently  covered  with  hairs.  The  varieties  range 
through  shades  of  pink  and  red. 

Paeonia  Browni,  DOUGL.  A  northwest  American  dwarf  species  with 
glaucus  foliage  and  dull,  brownish-red  flowers,  borne  on  re-curved  stems. 

Paeonia  Broteri,  Boiss  AND  REUT.  An  early  -  blooming,  European 
species,  similar  in  foliage  and  habit  to  Paeonia  Officinalis,  with  red  flow- 
ers varying  to  white. 

Paeonia  Coccinea.  A  reported  species  in  the  Royal  Botanical  Gar- 
dens at  Glasnevin. 

Paeonia  Corallina,  RETZ.  Asia  Minor.  A  vigorous  species,  two  to 
three  feet  high,  with  dark  green  foliage,  the  lower  leaves  of  which  are  on- 
ly twice  divided.  Bright,  crimson  flowers,  with  short,  rounded  petals 
and  seed  vessels  of  a  bright  red  color. 

Paeonia  Coriacea.  Boiss.  Similar  to  Paeonia  Albiflora,  with  even 
broader  leaflets,  bright  crimson  flowers,  purple  stigmas  and  smooth 
seed  vessels. 

Paeonia  Corsica,  SIEBER.  Closely  related  to,  if  not  the  same  as, 
the  last. 

Paeonia  Decora,  ANDERS.  From  southern  Europe.  A  close  spe- 
cies to  Paeonia  Arietina,  with  peculiar  horizontal  foliage  diminishing  to- 
ward top  of  the  stems,  which  are  two  to  three  feet  high.  The  crimson 
flowers  are  small,  with  few  narrow  and  small  petals.  Pallasii,  with  nar- 
row leaflets,  and  Elatior,  with  broadly  oblong  leaflets,  are  recognized 
varieties. 

Paeonia  Emodi,  WALL.  A  Himalayan  species,  two  to  three  feet 
high,  closely  related  to  Paeonia  Anomala,  with  smooth,  finely  cut  foliage, 
pale  beneath.  Flowers  pure  white,  borne  in  clusters  of  four  or  more. 

Paeonia  Humilis,  RETZ.  A  French  species  of  low  growth,  with  some- 
what velvety  foliage,  and  with  bright  red  flowers  on  short  stems,  and 
borne  in  clusters  of  three  or  more,  with  smooth  seed  pods. 


FESTIVA  MAXIMA 


Pacony  manual  9 

Paeonia  Lutea.  Recently  discovered  species  from  Yunnan,  and  in- 
troduced by  Abbe  Delavay,  growing  about  two  feet  high  and  bearing 
small,  bright  yellow  flowers.  The  plant  is  somewhat  shrubby  in  habit, 
and  allied  to  Paeonia  Moutan.  Not  sufficiently  tested  as  yet  as  to  hardi- 
hood. 

Paeonia  Microcarpa,  Boiss  AND  REUT.  Closely  allied  to  P.  Humilis, 
with  even  dwarfer  habit  and  more  downy  foliage.  Presumably  a  native 
of  France. 

Paeonia  Mollis,  ANDERS  A  dwarf  Siberian  species,  with  dark  green 
upper  surface  to  foliage,  and  distinctly  glaucous  and  velvety  below. 
Flowers  pink  or  red,  and  borne  singly. 

Paeonia  Moutan,  SIMS.  The  well-known  Tree  Paeony,  a  native  of 
China. 

Paeonia  Officinalis,  LINN.  The  oldest  cultivated  species,  first 
grown  in  1548,  with  dark  green  foliage  above,  pale  green  beneath,  grow- 
ing two  to  three  feet  high  and  producing  single,  dark  crimson  flowers, 
and  with  re-curved  crimson  stigmas.  Early  blooming,  and  a  parent  of 
many  double  anemone-flowered  and  semi-double  varieties.  A  native  of 
Europe. 

Paeonia  Paradoxa,  ANDERS.  A  very  dwarf,  almost  tufted,  Turkish 
species,  with  three-lobed  incised  foliage  and  purplish  red  flowers  borne 
singly,  and  with  seed  vessels  closely  pressed  together.  There  is  a  varie- 
ty, fimbriata,  with  double  purple  flowers  and  projecting  purple  stamens. 

Paeonia  Peregrina,  MILL.  An  European  species  similar  to  Paeonia 
Officinalis,  but  with  very  smooth,  deep  green  foliage  above,  pale  green, 
hairy  beneath.  Flowers  bright  crimson.  This  has  given  rise  to  two 
good  double  forms  and  a  number  of  varieties  with  single  whorls  of  petals. 

Paeonia  Obovata,  MAXIM.  A  little  known  species,  with  "lower 
leaves  not  more  than  twice  ternate;  flowers  large,  red-purple,  and  glab- 
rous seed  vessels." 

Paeonia  Pubens,  SIMS.  Allied  to  Paeonia  Arietina.  Leaves  hairy 
below,  margins  red. 

Paeonia  Russi,  BIVONI.  A  Sicilian  and  French  species  varying  from 
Paeonia  Corallina  in  decidedly  hairy  undersurface  of  foliage. 

Paeonia  Sessiliflora,  SIMS.  Nearly  related  to  Paeonia  Mollis;  very 
low;  flowers  short-stemmed,  pure  white. 

Paeonia  Triternata  (Daurica)  PALLAS.  Three  feet.  Differs  only 
from  Paeonia  Corallina  in  the  rounded  leaves,  greener  stems  and  rose- 
colored  flowers.  A  native  of  Caucasus. 

Paeonia  Sibirica.  A  little  known  species  in  the  Glasnevin  Royal 
Botanic  Garden  list. 

Paeonia  Tenuifolia,  LIN.  A  Caucasus  species  eighteen  inches  high, 
with  light,  soft  green,  very  finely  divided  foliage,  and  dark  crimson,  yel- 
low anthered  flowers  and  spirally  recurved  stigma.  The  earliest  bloom- 
ing species  There  are  double  and  semi-double  types  of  this. 

Paeonia  Wittmanniana,  STEV.  A  Caucasian  and  north  Persian  spe- 
cies about  two  feet  high,  with  coarsely  divided,  dark  green  foliage,  downy 
beneath  and  bearing  showy,  incurved,  pale  yellow  flowers,  one  to  a  stem. 
Rare. 


io  C.  S.  Garrison's 

CHAPTER  IV 
Propagation 

It  is  highly  important  to  know  how  to  multiply  these  valuable  flow- 
ers, for  the  process  is  slow  at  best. 

You  buy  a  choice  Syringa  or  Philadelphus,  and  you  can  divide  the 
roots  and  plant  cuttings  and  increase  them  very  rapidly.  You  can,  in  a 
few  years,  run  a  new  kind  of  a  fruit  tree  up  into  the  millions,  but  you  can- 
not rush  the  Paeony.  One  of  the  best  on  the  list  originated  in  1835, 
and  it  is  impossible  now  to  supply  the  demand.  If  you  raise  from  seed 
you  never  reproduce  the  original,  and  it  takes  from  five  to  eight  years  to 
know  what  you  are  getting.  But  with  care,  by  root  division  alme,  you 
can  secure  from  one  to  two  thousand  in  ten  years.  There  are  three 
modes  of  propagation;  by  division,  from  roots  and  from  seed. 

We  have  a  different  system,  where  we  raise  for  roots,  than  where  we 
propagate  for  flowers.  By  the  best  of  care  on  the  richest  ground  you 
can  hurry  them  considerably.  But  there  is  a  great  difference  in  them. 
L'Esperence  and  Victoria  Tricolor  multiply  rapidly,  while  J.  Discaisne, 
though  a  glorious  flower,  wants  about  four  years  to  double  itself.  Others 
equally  as  good  in  bloom  are  much  more  profitable.  From  Baroness 
Schroder,  La  Tulipe  and  Richardson's  Rubra  I  have  cut  thirty  roots  in 
four  years  from  one  By  dividing  every  two  or  three  years  you  have 
perfectly  healthy  and  vigorous  roots.  I  have  bought  those  that  must 
have  stood  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  The  buds  were  partially  decayed, 
and  they  had  great,  club-like  roots.  There  is  no  advantage  in  such  large 
roots.  A  two-year-old  plant,  sound  and  vigorous,  is  much  to  be  preferred. 

A  neighbor  wished  me  to  do  something  for  his  Paeonys.  They  had 
been  twenty-five  years  in  grass  and  weeds.  They  were  crowding  and  ex- 
hausting each  other.  They  would  bud,  but  had  no  vigor  to  expand  the 
bloom.  I  took  up  great  clumps,  and  found  them  much  decayed.  I  cut 
them  up,  planting  the  buds  and  what  little  root  I  could  secure  with  them, 
and  in  two  years  had  as  strong  and  vigorous  stock  as  I  ever  saw.  My 
land  consists  mostly  of  city  lots,  so  I  must  plant  closely  in  rows,  about 
eighteen  inches  apart,  and  eight  inches  in  the  row.  Of  course  they 
could  not  stay  long.  I  have  the  advantage  of  irrigation  if  necessary.  I 
have  often  planted  buds  alone,  with  no  root  whatever.  One  fall  I  put  in 
thirty,  and  the  next  year  had  twenty-seven  fine  plants. 

J* 

Dividing  tbc  Roots 

This  is  difficult,  and  requires  patience  and  judgment.  Some  have  a 
distinct  cleavage,  and  are  easily  separated.  Others,  like  Marie  Lemoine, 
have  no  cleavage,  but  are  gnarled  and  twisted.  Some,  like  Princess 
Ellen,  have  roots  like  a  ball.  Many  are  very  tender,  and  as  you  begin 
to  divide,  they  will  snap  like  pipe  stems.  This  is  bad,  for  there  are  the 
roots,  and  you  need  them  to  go  with  the  buds.  If  you  lose  them  it  will 


Paeony  manual  n 

take  a  year  or  two  to  replace  them.  Let  them  lie  in  the  shade  a  few 
hours  and  wilt.  This  toughens  them  and  does  not  hurt  them  a  particle. 
You  can  immediately  restore  them  to  their  plumpness  by  putting  them  in 
wet  moss,  or  keeping  in  or  planting  in  moist  earth.  This  is  a  very  im- 
portant matter.  I  got  onto  this  process  after  a  good  deal  of  annoyance 
and  vexation.  In  planting,  have  your  ground  in  the  best  of  order.  I 
have  deep,  rich  soil,  fertilized  with  hen  manure  when  I  can  get  it:  only 
prepare  your  ground  beforehand,  so  the  fertilizing  will  be  assimilated. 
Make  a  deep,  wide  hole  with  the  spade,  insert  the  root,  press  the  earth 
close  about,  put  the  bud  two  or  three  inches  below  the  surface,  and  be 
careful  not  to  bruise  it.  It  is  a  good  idea  to  put  a  coat  of  manure  over 
them  in  winter. 


Planting  for  flowers 

You  can  raise  roots  and  blossoms  at  the  same  time,  but  you  cannot 
multiply  as  rapidly  as  where  you  raise  solely  for  the  increase.  Of  course 
you  will  raise  many  flowers  while  you  are  propagating.  The  ready 
bloomers  will  get  in  their  work  the  second  year,  and  at  that  time  we  of- 
ten have  quite  a  burden  of  bloom.  Some  sorts  require  time  to  come  to 
their  best.  Usually  the  largest  and  latest  sorts  need  a  year  longer  than 
the  others,  while  some  kinds  will  bloom  on  the  least  provocation.  Vic- 
toria Tricolor  is  noted  as  an  early,  prolific  bloomer,  and  a  ready  multi- 
plier. It  often  blossoms  the  first  year. 

To  raise  the  largest  and  finest  flowers,  the  ground  should  be  very 
rich.  We  often  cart  on  soil  and  manure  to  increase  the  depth.  Rich, 
bottom  land,  well  manured,  is  best.  The  ground  to  be  planted  in  the 
fall  should  be  prepared  in  the  summer.  It  should  be  spaded  two  to  three 
feet  deep.  Plant  in  rows  four  feet  apart  and  three  feet  in  the  row,  so 
you  can  cultivate  with  the  horse,  if  necessary.  Sometimes  I  have  pre- 
pared ground  in  this  way:  On  an  eighth  of  an  acre  there  were  scattered 
eight  loads  of  hen  manure,  and  a  strong  team  plowed  it  two  furrows  deep 
and  took  the  whole  day  for  it.  This  thorough  preparation  is  necessary 
for  the  best  results  and  the  largest  blooms.  Of  course  you  do  not  have 
to  be  at  such  expense.  They  will  grow,  thrive  and  bloom  on  good  corn 
ground.  By  this  process  you  are  raising  roots  as  well  as  flowers,  and  at 
the  end  of  ten  years  you  will  have  an  enormous  crop  of  the  former,  but 
they  will  be  large  and  not  so  easy  to  handle. 

In  planting  to  raise  flowers,  be  sure  and  take  good,  strong  roots. 
Such  will  come  into  bearing  much  sooner  than  small  ones.  I  should  not 
plant  clumps,  but  heavy  ones,  and  they  will  make  the  clumps  soon 
enough. 

I  have  gone  into  detail  because  I  deem  the  Paeony  the  queen  of 
flowers,  and  it  should  have  the  best  possible  chance. 


Raising  Trent  Roots 

I  have  watched  this  process  closely  for  years,  and  have  found  one 
thing,  perhaps  not  discovered  by  others.  The  root  is  small  where  it  joins 
at  the  top;  it  swells  in  the  center  and  then  tapers.  Now  if  a  root  is  bro- 


i2  C.  $.  prison's 

ken  at  the  center,  the  lower  portion  never  can  form  a  head.  It  will  try 
hard.  A  calous  will  be  formed  at  either  end.  The  poor  thing  will  do 
its  best  to  put  a  head  on  itself,  but  cannot  make  it.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  year  the  root  will  yet  be  sound;  the  second  year  the  top  will  begin 
to  decay,  and  the  third  year  it  will  be  rotten.  The  upper  portion  of 
this  same  root,  where  it  breaks  from  the  plant,  will  have  a  good  show 
for  forming  a  head.  Kinds  differ.  The  Edulis  Superba  and  others  of 
its  class  are  stored  with  vitality.  I  have  often  stripped  off  roots,  like 
fingers  from  the  hand,  and  planted  them,  and  almost  invariably  a  bud 
would  form  the  first  year  and  be  ready  for  business  the  next  spring. 
Sometimes  it  will  take  two  years  to  form  a  head,  but  in  the  main  you 
will  succeed  better  to  carefully  divide  and  plant  root  and  bud  together. 


CHAPTER  V 


Raising  from  Seeds 

We  must  pay  more  attention  to  this.  There  is  no  reason  why  we 
should  not  produce  more  rare  sorts.  There  is  a  fascination  here.  You 
never  know  what  is  coming.  Just  beside  you,  in  the  unknown,  there  is 
a  rare,  lovely  and  fragrant  flower  waiting  to  surprise  you.  You  wish  to 
give  it  a  chance  to  materialize,  so  you  are  on  the  alert  to  welcome  your 
new  creations.  One  in  a  hundred  will  be  fair;  perhaps  one  in  a  thous- 
and will  be  superior. 

How  about  hand  pollenization?     I  should  let  the  bees  attend  to  that. 

Note  this  fact:  You  must  secure  seed  from  the  VERY  CHOICEST 
KINDS.  Here  we  are  handicapped.  Great,  splendid  ones,  like  Festiva 
Maxima,  Tecumseh  and  Richardson's  Rubra  Superba,  can  go  no  further. 
Those  grand,  double  ones  have  reached  their  limit.  It  is  well-known 
that  the  single  and  semi-double  are  very  prolific,  and  yield  any  amount 
of  seed.  When  Terry  and  Rosenfield,  in  the  west,  commenced  their  work, 
they  secured  seed  from  the  very  best.  Thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Terry  be- 
gan with  seeds  from  the  choicest  flowers  that  would  yield  any,  and  he  has 
given  us  some  fine  ones.  So  with  Rosenfield,  who  gave  us  Floral  Treas- 
ure and  Golden  Harvest,  that  now  stand  well  at  the  head  of  the  proces- 
sion. 

Other  propagators  I  know  of  have  used,  I  am  sure,  seeds  from  in- 
ferior plants,  and  as  like  begets  like,  they  have  very  inferior  strains. 
One  grower,  by  a  good  deal  of  enthusiasm  and  fulsome  praise,  has  sold 
several  which  prove  to  be  a  disappointment.  The  whole  stock,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  is  coarse  and  cheap,  and  does  not  sustain  itself.  It  is 
remarkable  that  you  may  raise  a  thousand  seedlings,  and  there  will  be  no 
two  exactly  alike. 

What  shall  be  done  with  the  thousands  of  rejected  ones?  We  have 
too  many  named  ones  already,  about  two  thousand.  Shall  we  throw 
them  away?  By  no  means.  If  you  never  saw  a  Paeony  and  were  intro- 


Paeony  manual  13 

duced  to  the  thousand  left  behind,  you  would  call  them  fine  flowers,  and 
so  they  are.  In  the  hosts  of  these  common  ones  I  never  saw  a  really 
poor  one.  They  are  all  good,  but  there  are  the  better  and  the  best.  I 
would  say  keep  them.  They  can  be  used  for  parks  and  in  masses.  Put 
them  on  your  cheap  list  and  classify  them  in  colors.  There  are  many 
people  who  insist  that  a  "piny"  is  a  -'piny,"  and  that  is  all  there  is  of  it, 
and  they  will  insist  that  you  keep  a  "bargain  counter,"  for  they  think 
they  are  terribly  cheated  if  they  have  to  pay  more  than  twenty-five  cents 
for  a  "piny."  They  are  much  like  the  young  darkey  who,  by  mistake, 
got  a  license  to  marry  Lucinda,  when  he  had  agreed  to  marry  Katie.  It 
would  cost  him  something  to  get  a  new  license.  He  proved  equal  to  the 
occasion,  "Dere  aint  no  $1.75  difference  between  dem  two  niggers,  and 
I'll  just  marry  Lucinda." 

We  are  glad  to  note  cheering  success  in  originating  new  varieties  in 
America.  We  need  to  go  in  on  a  larger  scale.  Mr.  Kelway,  of  Eng- 
land, and  Mr.  Terry,  of  Iowa,  have  given  us  over  100  each.  The  main 
difference  between  them  is,  Kelway  has  used  the  most  ink.  I  think  Ter- 
ry has  never  photographed  one  of  his  grand  creations.  We  are  happy, 
however,  to  present  some  in  this  Manual.  I  think  it  would  be  much 
better  to  go  heavily  into  the  business  of  propagation  than  to  send  so 
much  money  to  Europe  and  import  so  many  disappointments. 

There  is  a  future  for  this  industry.  For  instance,  the  new  Japan- 
ese, with  their  peculiar  stamens,  are  very  unique.  I  have  about  twenty- 
four  kinds.  They  seed  readily,  and,  having  them  hemmed  in  with  other 
fine  varieties,  I  have  great  hopes  of  a  new  race  of  hybrids.  I  also  in- 
tend this  fall  of  1904  to  plant  about  two  quarts  of  the  very  choicest  seeds 
that  I  can  secure.  I  have  large  quantities  of  my  own  and  have  engaged 
more,  and  from  the  coming  thousands  I  hope  to  see  some  of  superior 
merit.  As  to  those  which  will  not  be  named,  keep  them.  The  great 
empire  of  the  northwest  will  need  them.  Most  of  those  raised  by  west- 
ern growers  yet  go  east,  and  the  bleak  northwest  is  waking  up  to  their 
merits,  and  will  yet  absorb  millions. 

<$# 

Care  of  Seeds  and  Planting 

It  is  better  to  gather  the  seeds  before  they  get  thoroughly  dried,  and 
plant  immediately,  or  mix  them  with  moist  sand  and  plant  just  before 
the  ground  freezes.  In  the  west,  often  our  falls  are  so  dry  that  seed,  at 
the  ordinary  depth,  would  dry  out.  Those  can  be  planted  that  are  thor- 
oughly dried,  but  it  takes  two,  and  even  three,  years  for  them  to  germi- 
nate. They  should  be  planted  in  rows  about  two  inches  deep.  If,  in 
the  spring  the  ground  should  incline  to  crust,  it  may  need  pulverizing 
with  a  rake,  so  that  the  little  plants  can  come  up  readily.  If  sown  in  a 
seed  bed  they  can  be  removed  when  a  year  old.  Though  the  roots  will 
be  small  they  will  be  full  of  vitality.  If  far  enough  apart  so  they  can 
have  a  fair  chance  to  develop,  it  is  better  to  let  them  remain  till  they 
bloom.  But  it  takes  some  years  for  them  to  fully  show  their  individual- 
ity so  you  can  know  what  to  depend  on.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry.  I  have 
known  rejected  ones  to  develop  flowers  equal  to  almost  any,  and  I  have 
one  which  was  discarded  while  young,  which  is  now  near  the  head  of  the 


i4  €.  $.  garrison's 

procession.  Young  plants  do  not  often  go  back,  but  show  up  better  as 
they  grow  old.  The  Paeony  has  almost  infinite  patience,  and  you  must 
have  a  little  even  in  this  age  of  steam  and  lightning. 


CHAPTER  VI 


Che  fiardincss  of  the  Paeony 

We  know  of  nothing  in  the  vegetable  world  which  has  the  vigor  and 
hardiness  of  this  plant.  The  root  is  like  the  grip  sack  of  the  traveler  which 
contains  the  supplies  for  his  journey.  It  will  come  to  us  from  Europe  and 
bring  in  compact  form  foliage,  flower  and  life.  We  know  of  nothing 
that  will  stand  more  hard  treatment,  exposure  and  neglect.  It  may  be 
left  on  the  ground,  exposed  to  the  sun,  for  days,  and  be  badly  withered, 
and  yet  it  will  revive  and  grow.  Often  we  find,  where  we  have  cut  up 
plants  in  the  fall,  that  tiny  buds,  so  small  as  to  escape  notice,  after  freez- 
ing and  thawing  all  winter,  will  throw  out  shoots  and  tiny  rootlets,  and 
we  have  often  saved  them.  One  spring  two  roots  of  La  Tulipe  were  left 
in  the  barn  two  months,  till,  to  all  appearance,  they  were  dead.  They 
were  planted  the  first  of  June,  and  they  immediately  revived  and  grew. 

One  winter  we  had  several  boxes  stored  in  a  root  cellar.  They  were 
poorly  packed.  Someone  left  the  door  open  and  they  were  all  frozen 
solid.  The  door  was  closed,  and  they  remained  frozen  till  spring, 
when  they  were  planted,  without  the  loss  of  one.  It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  keep  a  lot  in  boxes  seven  months  at  a  time  with  but  slight  pack- 
ing. I  once  had  a  remarkable  experience  with  a  lot  from  Kelway,  Eng- 
land. They  came  over  in  reasonable  time,  but  were  delayed  in  a  warm 
office  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  a  month  before  I  was  notified.  The  box  was 
dried  out  and  full  of  cracks,  and  the  moss  was  dry  as  powder.  The 
roots  were  black,  and  snapped  like  sticks.  The  buds  were  shriveled.  I 
had  the  expressman  look  them  over,  and  all  pronounced  them  dead. 
There  were  thirty  roots,  some  of  which  cost  $2.50  each.  Of  course  the 
express  company  had  to  pay  damages.  Taking  them  home  about  the 
first  of  November,  I  cut  off  the  dead  roots  and  planted  the  buds  in  moist 
earth  in  a  box  in  the  cellar.  At  the  end  of  a  month  the  buds  began  to 
swell.  December  ist,  they  were  planted  out,  and  were  frozen  all  winter. 
They  all  grew  but  one,  and  one  of  them  bloomed.  Of  course  it  took  an 
extra  year  to  form  new  roots.  They  seemed  much  like  the  Mexican  res- 
urrection plant. 

They  are  like  the  Rocky  Mountain  burro  that  bears  any  amount  of 
misuse  or  neglect,  and  yet  patiently  plods  along.  Often  for  years  they 
must  bear  neglect  in  grass,  or  the  hard  earth  tramped  solid  about  them. 
And  yet  they  hang  on,  doing  the  best  they  can.  Yet  while  they  patiently 
endure  so  much,  there  is  nothing  that  responds  with  more  grateful  alac- 
rity to  generous  treatment.  A  neighbor  had  an  Alba  Sulphuria,  which 


Paeony  manual  15 

had  bloomed  in  utter  neglect  for  twenty-five  years.  I  bought  the  clump, 
he  retaining  a  couple  of  roots  He  planted  his  in  the  grass  and  hard 
earth,  digging  but  a  little  space  for  them.  In  four  years  they  have  not 
bloomed  or  grown.  They  could  not.  They  could  only  live.  I  planted 
my  part  in  the  richest  ground,  and  how  they  increased  and  blossomed. 
In  about  four  years  I  had  nearly  one  hundred  plants. 

All  the  great  west  and  northwest  are  well  adapted  to  them,  and  it 
should  be  a  matter  of  encouragement  that  the  finest  flower  that  blooms 
will  give  its  cheer  to  a  vast  region  where  other  flowers  cannot  grow. 
They  are  hardier  than  the  pie  plant.  We  pay  out  millions  for  choice 
roses,  and  other  things  which  cannot  endure  our  winters.  It  is  much 
better  to  plant  an  absolute  success  than  a  sure  failure. 


"Playing  Possum" 

Possessed  of  a  marvelous  patience,  this  plant  will  often  bide  its  time, 
and  seem  dead,  when  it  is  only  gathering  its  forces  for  a  vigorous  push. 

One  fall  I  planted  quite  a  row  of  the  splendid  Princeps.  Next 
spring  not  one  of  them  came  up,  nor  did  they  show  any  signs  of  life  dur- 
ing the  summer.  I  was  preparing  to  use  the  ground  for  something  else, 
when,  after  lying  dormant  for  eighteen  months,  the  whole  row  pushed  up 
and  commenced  a  vigorous  growth. 

When  you  dig  a  lot  from  the  same  ground,  there  will  be  many  spring 
up  the  first  year,  and  often  more  will  show  the  second  year,  having  taken 
so  long  a  time  to  form  a  head.  It  is  my  custom  in  cutting  up,  to  replant 
the  same  row  to  the  same  kind,  to  avoid  any  mixture,  and  if  I  cannot  do 
this  I  am  careful  to  plant  between  where  the  rows  were,  so  the  strays 
will  not  come  up  in  the  same  row  with  those  I  am  planting,  but  between 
them. 


CHAPTER  VII 


Cftorougbbred  Etoe  Stock  and  thoroughbred  flowers 

I  used  to  keep  thoroughbred  Jerseys  and  Shorthorns.  Though  I  en- 
joyed it  they  were  a  constant  care.  One  night  I  was  awakened  by  a 
fearful  crash.  I  wakened  the  boys  and  told  them  to  bring  the  lanterns. 
Rushing  out,  I  saw  in  the  barn  two  balls  of  fire.  They  belonged  to  the 
Shorthorn.  He  weighed  a  ton,  and  every  pound  of  him  was  in  fighting 
trim.  Aiming  a  pitchfork  a  suitable  distance  below  those  blazing  orbs, 
I  caught  him  in  the  nose.  Then  the  lights  came.  We  secured  him  and 
led  him  back  to  his  stall.  It  seemed  the  Jersey  got  loose  and  thought  it 
a  good  time  to  take  revenge.  The  Shorthorn  tore  himself  loose,  drove 
the  Jersey  back  to  his  stall,  and,  with  one  tremendous  thrust,  hurled  him 
through  the  side  of  the  barn.  I  was  younger  then,  but  I  don't  want  any 


1 6  €.  S.  garrison's 

more.  I  have  seen  men  who  had  built  up  a  fine,  choice  herd  of  hogs; 
then  came  the  cholera  and  wiped  them  out.  Beautiful  flocks  of  fowls 
melt  away  with  disease,  become  the  prey  of  sneaking  beasts  or  the  chick- 
en thief. 

It  is  different  with  thoroughbred  Paeonys.  They  do  not  tear  them- 
selves in  wire  fences.  You  know  where  they  are  nights  They  do  not 
eat  their  heads  off  in  winter.  The  food  costs  nothing.  You  can  go  off 
on  your  summer  vacation,  and  they  will  be  there  when  you  come  back 
They  multiply  as  fast  as  live  stock.  There  is  more  money  in  them,  le- 
gitimate, honest  gain.  Sixteen  years  ago  a  man  laid  out  $50  for  choice 
strains.  For  some  time  he  has  been  selling  $1,000  worth  a  year. 

I  bought  a  fine  plant  for  Hi.  In  five  years  I  sold  $iS  worth,  and 
had  eighteen  roots  left.  One  choice  variety  in  the  same  length  of  time 
brought  in  $34.00,  and  I  had  fifteen  roots  left.  One  fall  I  had  an  order 
for  500  common  mixed  sorts  for  $6  per  100.  It  took  but  a  small  piece 
of  ground  to  furnish  them.  My  man,  who  had  worked  on  the  farm,  was 
astonished.  "Here,"  said  he,  "we  have  dug  $30  from  a  few  rods  of 
ground,  and  if  we  got  that  from  two  acres  of  farm  land  we  would  do 
well  " 

Is  Paeony  raising  a  fad,  that  will  soon  pass  away?  It  cannot  pass; 
people  will  not  allow  it.  In  staid  old  Europe  the  interest  has  fairly  com- 
menced. In  our  eastern  states,  where  they  can  raise  Azalias,  Kalmias 
and  Rhododendrons,  the  demand  is  on  the  increase.  Most  of  the  stock 
of  western  growers  yet  goes  east.  In  the  west  we  cannot  raise  the  flow- 
ers above  mentioned.  They  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  us.  They  are 
aristocratic  easterners  that  will  die  before  they  will  live  with  us.  I 
thought  our  hot  suns  and  drying  winds  too  much,  so  I  got  1,000  of  the 
hardiest  kinds  I  could  hear  of,  and  put  them  under  a  screen.  Kalmias, 
Azalias,  Rhododendrons,  all  dead  in  a  year,  despite  the  tenderest  care. 
Do  you  wonder  that  we  love  a  flower  that  will  step  in  and  take  their 
places,  one  that  never  grumbles  nor  pines,  and  is  never  homesick,  that 
is  more  fragrant  and  lovely  than  the  best  of  them?  I  have  attended  some 
of  the  most  famous  flower  shows  of  the  east,  and  here  in  Nebraska  we 
can  raise  as  fine  Paeonys  as  anywhere  on  earth.  We  plant  roses,  and 
they  kill  down  and  dwindle  away,  but  the  Paeony  stays  by  us.  Millions 
are  needed  for  our  western  states.  Billions  are  needed  for  the  Dakotas, 
Minnesota  and  Manitoba,  where  they  do  as  well  as  in  England.  When 
the  finest  flowers  on  earth  are  fitted  for  such  a  vast  empire,  and  they  will 
grow  and  thrive  where  other  things  will  not,  you  can  depend  on  them. 

Talk  about  Ginseng  for  profit!  Go  to  raising  Paeonys  This  is 
work  for  ladies.  Already  many  are  going  into  it.  There  is  much  less 
care  and  expense  than  in  raising  chickens,  though  as  light  work  the  two 
go  together.  The  hen  is  mightier  than  the  sword.  She  seems  insignifi- 
cant, yet  her  produce  and  progeny  every  year  are  greater  than  the  output 
of  all  the  gold  mines,  and  the  more  eggs  and  chickens  you  raise,  the 
higher  they  get.  The  two  enterprises  are  in  woman's  realm.  Mrs.  Pleas, 
of  Indiana,  has  raised  some  fine  new  sorts.  One  she  sold  for  $100,  and 
another  for  $150,  besides  having  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of  enjoy- 
ment from  her  floral  friends. 

When  you  take  into  consideration  the  growing  value  of  cut  flowers, 


- 


H.  A.  TERRY,  Crescent,  Iowa 


BELLE  OF  YORK          PRINCESS  OF  WALES 
JUNO 


Pacony  manual  17 

you  have  three  harvests  from  your  Paeony  bed,  one  in  the  spring,  the 
blossoms  in  summer,  and  again  root  sales  in  the  autumn.  This  delight- 
ful and  profitable  employment,  together  with  the  fascination  of  raising 
new  kinds  from  seed,  will  give  a  zest  and  joy  to  living  which  cannot  be 
found  in  any  indoor  employment.  There  is  the  delight  of  seeing  a  trans- 
formation going  on,  the  brown  earth  putting  on  robes  of  beauty  while 
you  are  culling  forms  of  loveliness  out  of  the  unseen,  taking  the  rainbow 
and  moulding  into  shapes  of  wondrous  fascination. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


Adaptation 

The  Moutan  or  Tree  Paeony  does  remarkably  well  in  England  and 
in  our  Atlantic  States.  It  blooms  grandly  and  grows  to  be  quite  a  bush. 
I  have  grown  them  in  Nebraska  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  and  find 
them  very  shy  bloomers.  They  will  grow  and  increase  all  right,  but  I 
think  the  buds  are  sensitive  to  our  trying  climate.  It  is  possible  these 
will  do  well  where  the  herbaceous  ones  are  not  satisfactory.  I  think,  as 
you  go  south  into  the  Gulf  states,  especially  into  the  sandy  soils,  the 
Chinensis  will  not  be  satisfactory,  and  perhaps  those  regions  will  be  just 
the  place  for  the  Moutan. 

I  understand  they  can  be  used  successfully  for  forcing,  and  think 
this  would  be  feasible.  The  trouble  with  those  grown  out  doors  is 
supposed  to  be  the  severe  spring  frosts.  This  difficulty  would  be  obvi- 
ated by  bringing  them  into  the  green  house.  In  those  sections  where 
you  can  depend  on  them,  the  blossoms  are  of  resplendent  beauty,  some 
of  the  newer  sorts  almost  as  large  as  a  dinner  plate. 

They  are  usually  propagated  by  putting  a  slip  into  the  fleshy  root 
of  the  herbaceous  kinds.  It  will  use  this  for  a  time  and  then  discard  it 
for  its  own.  The  stools  can  be  readily  separated,  and  if  you  wish  to 
increase  faster,  graft  the  tops  on  their  own  roots  much  as  the  nurseryman 
does  his  young  apple  trees,  using  the  lip  or  splice  graft.  Care  must  be 
taken,  however,  to  let  them  knit  well  before  planting  out.  But  if  you 
have  patience  you  can  wait  for  the  root  division. 

The  Tenuifolia  are  the  earliest  of  all.  They  are  single  and  double. 
They  are  not  quite  as  hardy  as  the  Chinensis,  as  they  need  mulching  in 
the  west  in  winter,  where  the  cold  will  be  excessive  and  sometimes  there 
will  be  no  snow.  I  have  had  them  bloom  as  early  as  May  5th.  The 
blossom  is  like  a  rose,  seated  in  that  delicate,  soft,  fern-like  foliage.  The 
only  draw-back  is,  it  is  not  fragrant.  Yet  it  has  an  important  place  to 
fill. 

The  Officianalis  is  the  "piny"  of  our  mothers.  I  remember  with  a 
shudder  the  steeping  of  the  "piny  toes"  for  the  ills  of  childhood.  For 
years  I  looked  with  contempt  on  the  whole  family  on  account  of  the 
rank  and  disagreeable  odors  which  came  down  out  of  the  past.  Though 
this  has  been  one  of  the  mothers  of  the  new  and  fragrant  race,  yet  much 


1 8  C.  $.  garrison's 

of  the  indifference  regarding  the  modern  flower  dates  back  to  the  memory 
of  the  sickening  odor,  so  indelibly  impressed  on  childhood. 

Again, they  are  not  hardy  in  the  west  and  northwest.  Thousands  have 
planted  them  and  failed,  and  think  the  whole  family  a  fraud.  We  get 
letters  from  Minnesota,  telling  of  failures,  and  in  every  instance  you 
trace  it  back  to  the  same  old  "piny."  Six  years  ago  I  planted  a  dozen 
good,  strong  roots.  The  first  winter  eleven  of  them  died,  and  it  took 
the  survivor  six  years  to  furnish  one  bloom.  No  wonder,  when  people 
judge  from  these,  that  they  are  prejudiced  against  the  whole.  The  Offici- 
nalis  multiplies  slowly.  Others,  beside  this  lone  one,  have  blossomed 
gloriously  and  increased  rapidly. 

I  know  there  are  clumps  here  and  there  in  Nebraska,  and  when  once 
established  and  not  disturbed,  they  give  early  blossoms,  following  hard 
on  the  Tenuifolia.  Both  these  kinds  have  an  entirely  different  system  of 
roots  from  the  Chinensis,  something  like  clumps  of  sweet  potatoes.  In 
separating  them,  as  in  case  of  the  dahlia,  you  must  have  a  bud  go  with 
the  root.  So  please  bear  in  mind,  if  you  live  in  the  bleak  northwest, 
that  you  are  never  to  order  the  Officinalis 

A* 
Changes  of  Soil  and  Climate 

Some  kinds  are  more  sensitive  to  their  conditions  than  others. 
Many  varieties  of  fruits  which  do  well  in  one  locality  are  worthless  in 
others.  Some  of  these  flowers  will  do  better  in  certain  soils  and  climates 
than  others.  Baroness  Schroder  is  called  flesh  colored  in  England.  In 
Massachusetts  sometimes  instead  of  being  pure  white  it  has  a  grayish 
tint.  In  Nebraska  it  is  of  snowy  white,  and  one  of  the  most  perfect 
flowers  that  ever  bloomed. 

Charlemagne  is  called  an  enormous  flower  in  Rochester,  but  it  has 
been  something  of  a  disappointment  in  other  locations.  We  must  not 
condemn  a  variety  as  a  fraud  if  it  does  not  meet  our  expectations,  for  it 
may  be  a  success  elsewhere.  While  we  say  this,  there  is  probably  no 
flower  that  does  so  well  under  varied  conditions.  Difference  in  soil  will 
have  something  to  do.  Of  course  they  cannot  do  as  well  in  light  sand 
or  stiff  clay  as  in  the  rich  loam  of  the  west. 


CHAPTER  IX 


mistakes  and  mixtures 

There  has  been  no  end  of  trouble  from  these  causes.  As  we  have 
had  no  Paeony  society  till  recently,  we  have  had  no  check  on  loose  meth- 
ods. So  one  name  has  been  given  to  several  different  sorts.  Often  the 
choicer  the  kind  the  more  substitutes  it  has.  At  least  six  kinds  have 
been  sold  for  Festiva  Maxima,  and  one  of  our  best  firms  innocently  sent 


Paeony  manual  IQ 

out  Grandiflora  Alba  for  years  for  this  variety.  There  has  been  no  end 
of  confusion  regarding  the  genuine  Humei  or  Thorbeckii,  one  of  our 
very  best.  I  have  bought  from  many  of  our  leading  firms  those  bearing 
this  name,  which  were  not  even  distant  relatives  of  it.  It  is  so  with  the 
Duke  of  Wellington. 

Holland  firms  are  notorious  for  their  carelessness.  I  bought  of 
Koster  &  Sons.  They  were  not  what  I  sent  for.  They  insisted  that 
they  were,  when  I  returned  their  own  labels  and  my  order.  Then  they 
were  not  true  to  name.  About  that  time  I  bought  quite  a  bill  of  an 
American  firm,  and  they  proved  the  worst  mixtures  I  ever  saw,  though 
they  were  packed  with  the  greatest  care.  I  notified  them.  They  supposed 
they  were  all  right,  for  they  got  them  of  Koster.  So  many  of  the  Dutch 
firms  are  so  unreliable  that  we  are  sure  of  nothing.  Before  me  lies  a  let- 
ter of  one  of  our  leading  growers.  He  has  had  no  end  of  vexation. 
Such  methods  are  in  wide  contrast  to  most  of  our  American  firms.  Vis- 
iting the  grounds  of  Rosenfield,  I  found  he  had  the  different  kinds  in 
beds  by  themselves,  and  while  blooming  every  plant  was  watched,  and  if 
perchance  there  was  a  stray  it  was  marked  with  a  stake. 

A  noted  firm  in  England,  which  has  done  more  to  bring  this  flower 
to  the  front  than  anyone  else,  has  fallen  into  careless  ways.  So  one  deal- 
er says,  "we  get  only  the  sweepings  of  their  fields."  This  is  bad,  for 
we  supposed  we  had  a  firm  we  could  absolutely  depend  on.  Their  prices 
were  very  high,  but  we  did  not  care  so  much  for  that,  provided  we  got 
pure  stock.  Some  time  ago  I  sent  for  two  roots  of  Lady  Alexander 
Duff,  supposed  to  be  the  best  Paeony  on  earth.  They  were  five  dollars 
a  root.  I  watched  them  grow,  and  had  my  friends  look  at  those  plants 
which  were  to  surprise  us  with  the  grandeur  of  their  bloom.  When  the 
flowers  opened  we  looked  on  in  a  daze  of  expectancy,  when  lo,  they 
showed  us  some  inferior  single  blossoms,  on  stems  about  a  foot  high. 
They  were  very  short  lived,  the  petals  falling  in  two  days  along  with  our 
expectations.  They  were  just  fair  xo-cent  plants  When  I  ordered,  I 
charged  them  to  return  the  money  if  they  did  not  have  the  genuineplants. 

What  is  the  lesson  from  all  this?  Patronize  American  growers. 
They  are  responsible.  They  keep  as  good  kinds  as  the  world  produces, 
and  will  gladly  correct  mistakes.  They  do  not  hide  behind  an  ocean. 
We  must  go  to  raising  new  varieties  on  a  large  scale.  Our  growers  have 
now  hundreds  soon  to  go  on  the  market  as  fine  as  we  import. 

A* 
Difficulties 

Where  one  has  several  hundred  varieties  it  is  hard  to  keep  the  stakes 
all  right.  The  weather  will  wear  off  the  names  in  a  few  months,  and 
they  must  be  re-marked  with  care.  Sometimes  the  stakes  will  be  broken 
down.  Perhaps  an  inquisitive  visitor  may  pull  one  up  to  read  the  name 
and  set  it  back  facing  the  wrong  way.  So,  with  the  greatest  care,  mis- 
takes are  inevitable.  I  have  bought  of  the  leading  firms  of  America  and 
Europe,  and  have  never  yet  found  one  which  did  not  have  some  more  or 
less  mixtures.  Of  course,  among  the  most  careful,  the  strays  would  be 
insignificant.  Anything  serious,  of  course,  is  corrected  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. This  goes  to  show  that  very  few  of  us  are  infallible.  One  of  our 


2o  .  €.  $.  garrison's 

western  growers  was  sick,  and  hired  a  man  to  plow  out  his  plants,  and 
he,  like  a  "wild  bull  in  a  china  shop,"  knocked  down  most  of  the  stakes, 
so  the  plants  had  to  be  sold  as  a  mixed  lot. 


Cbe  Proper  may 

is  to  wait  till  the  plants  bloom  before  stock  is  put  on  the  market,  unless 
you  have  it  from  some  reliable  firm.  If  mistakes  occur,  rectify  them  as 
soon  as  possible.  I  find  the  best  way  is  to  have  good,  strong  stakes,  at 
least  two  feet  tall,  painted,  with  the  bottoms  dipped  in  coal  tar. 


CHAPTER  X 


Keeping  the  Paconys  Back  in  the  Spring  for  Selling 

We  do  not  all  of  us  have  cold  storage,  and  unless  very  cold,  they 
will  start,  if  kept  moist,  at  a  very  low  temperature.  I  have  kept  boxes 
of  Paeonys  frozen,  and  as  soon  as  the  frost  was  out  they  began  growing. 
It  will  not  do  to  leave  them  in  the  field  if  we  expect  to  sell  them,  for 
buds  grow  rapidly  and  are  very  tender,  and  often  orders  come  in  when 
the  plants  are  two  feet  tall.  Of  course  it  is  not  a  good  time  to  plant, 
yet  customers  want  them  as  late  as  May,  and  are  disappointed  if  they 
cannot  get  them. 

It  is  very  easy  to  keep  them  back.  Instead  of  packing  them  in  wet 
moss,  which  would  bring  them  forward  immediately,  keep  them  cool  and 
dry;  even  if  wilted  a  little  it  will  not  hurt  them.  One  spring  I  received 
a  lot  from  France.  They  came  late,  and  were  packed  dry  in  an  open 
basket.  They  were  badly  wilted.  Placing  them  in  water  a  short  time 
revived  them.  They  lived  and  grew,  and  some  of  them  bloomed  the 
same  season.  Of  course  it  is  not  necessary  to  keep  them  very  dry. 
They  can  be  placed  on  a  rack,  like  cannas  or  dahlias. 


Cat*  Blooming 

If  you  wish  to  continue  the  flowering  season  into  July,  take  large 
roots  with  plenty  of  buds,  and  keep  them  partially  dry,  as  noted  above, 
or  in  cold  storage,  and  plant  out  from  the  middle  of  May  till  the  first  of 
June.  But  there  may  be  this  trouble  about  July  blooms.  In  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  the  sun  gets  very  hot,  and  delicate  flowers  might  have  the 
sun  scald.  I  have  seen  this  sometimes  in  the  case  of  Madam  Chaumy, 
which  is  a  large,  late  and  very  beautiful  flower;  also  with  Richardson's 
Perfection.  Where  there  is  any  danger,  set  up  stakes  and  stretch  gunny 
sacking  over  them.  It  is  well  to  plant  those  for  late  flowering  in  groups, 
so  they  can  be  easily  protected. 


Pacony  manual  21 

Tn  Planting,  tlK  Condition  of  the  Bud  must  Be  taken  Tnto  Account 

This  is  very  important.  The  Paeony  usually  goes  into  a  dormant 
condition  about  the  middle  of  August.  I  have  had  excellent  success  in 
planting  at  that  time,  for  the  buds  that  form  for  the  next  spring  are 
small  and  tough,  and  they  can  be  handled  without  danger  of  injuring 
them.  As  a  general  thing,  however,  September  is  the  best  time,  for  if 
very  hot  in  August  it  will  not  do  to  ship.  If  packed  too  moist  they  might 
rot.  When  planted  at  this  time  little  rootlets  begin  to  grow  and  the 
plant  is  all  ready  for  its  spring  growth.  You  will  notice  that  those  left  in 
the  ground  and  apparently  dormant  are  making  a  fine  growth  of  fibrous 
rootlets,  and  the  longer  they  are  left  the  more  numerous  they  will  be. 
The  buds  are  growing  too,  and  often  old  roots  will  have  a  net  of  rootlets 
around  them,  and  the  buds  will  be  much  larger  and  more  liable  to  dam- 
age than  if  planted  earlier.  Of  course  Paeonys  can  be  planted  any  time 
from  the  first  of  September  till  the  middle  of  the  following  May.  But 
we  are  speaking  of  the  BEST  TIME.  I  have  often  planted  strong,  left  over 
roots  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  May,  and  if  the  ground  is  rich  and 
in  the  best  condition,  have  cut  good  crops  of  flowers  from  them  a  few 
weeks  after  planting. 

There  are  various  ways  of  lengthening  the  flowering  season.  A  lady 
had  occasion  to  dig  a  cellar,  and  eighteen  inches  of  dirt  were  thrown 
over  a  strong  clump.  She  supposed  of  course  they  were  dead,  but  two 
weeks  after  the  rest  were  up  these  came  on,  blooming  so  much  later  than 
the  rest.  It  would  not  do  to  try  this,  save  on  strong,  well  established 
clumps.  I  have  heard  that  mowing  off  the  tops  when  they  are  a  few 
inches  high  would  retard  them,  but  never  wished  to  try  it. 

This  plan  works  well:  Suppose  you  have  a  row  ten  rods  long.  At 
one  end  you  have  no  mulching;  then  you  put  on  a  little,  increasing  it  till 
you  put  it  on  a  foot  deep  at  the  farther  end.  The  covering  should  be 
put  on  when  the  ground  is  frozen  solid.  You  will  note  quite  a  difference 
in  the  same  row  in  the  time  of  blooming.  On  the  other  hand,  up  in  Min- 
nesota, some  Paeonys  that  were  not  mulched  were  very  late  in  coming 
up,  after  a  severe  winter.  What  was  the  trouble"?  One  fall  in  that  state 
I  had  occasion  to  dig  up  a  large  clump,  to  transplant  for  a  friend.  The 
previous  winter  had  been  bare  of  snow,  and  very  cold.  I  found  that  the 
exposed  buds  had  all  been  killed.  But  the  plants  would  not  give  up. 
They  had  absolutely  formed  new  buds,  and  of  course  that  took  time. 
Though  as  far  north  as  Manitoba  they  come  out  all  right  with  just  a  snow 
mulching,  yet  it  is  much  safer  to  put  on  a  covering,  because  some  sea- 
sons the  snow  may  be  light.  When  I  can  do  so  I  mulch  in  this  latitude. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  root  protection,  and  yet  a  good  coat  of  manure 
pays.  Many  are  at  the  trouble  of  using  liquid  manure.  But  if  you  have 
plenty  on  the  ground,  every  rain  will  do  the  work  for  you,  and  if  it  is 
dry,  irrigation  will  serve  the  same  purpose. 


C.  s. 

CHAPTER  XI 


non-Blooming  Paccnys 

The  following  is  such  a  characteristic  letter  that  I  insert  it  here.  It 
is  a  sample  of  the  scores  of  inquiries  that  come  to  me  along  the  same  line: 

MR.  HARRISON: — What  is  the  matter  with  my  Paeonys1?  They  will 
not  bloom.  I  surely  paid  enough  for  them,  a  dollar  for  six.  I  have  had 
them  five  years,  and  only  one  bloom  all  this  time,  and  lhat  a  little,  infe- 
rior thing.  I  bought  them  for  different  kinds,  but  from  the  looks  of  the 
foliage  I  believe  they  are  all  one  kind,  and  I  guess  they  are  afraid  to 
bloom,  because  of  the  deception.  The  most  aggravating  thing  is,"  my 
neighbor  has  some  of  the  most  beautiful  ones  I  ever  saw.  They  are 
loaded  with  the  choicest  flowers  every  season.  I  have  had  manure 
spaded  around  mine,  and  have  mulched  them  in  winter,  with  no  result 
save  great  clumps  of  leaves.  What  shall  I  do,  and  what  is  the  trouble? 


MY  DEAR  WOMAN: — I  am  afraid  you  have  been  patronizing  the 
"bargain  counter."  If  you  paid  only  one  dollar  for  six  plants,  you 
could  not  expect  to  get  good  ones.  You  have  what  you  bought,  a  cheap 
lot.  What  will  you  do  with  them?  Dig  them  up  and  throw  them  away. 
Be  sure  you  dig  deep  enough  to  get  out  all  the  roots,  so  you  will  not  hear 
from  them  again.  You  have  probably  been  insisting  that  a  "piny  was  a 
piny,"  and  that  was  all  there  was  of  it.  Now  you  see  your  mistake. 
The-re  are  thoroughbreds  in  flowers  as  well  as  in  cattle.  A.  $15  scrub 
cow  bears  no  comparison  with  a  choice,  thoroughbred  Jersey,  which 
costs  ten  times  as  much. 

Think  what  economy  there  would  have  been  in  starting  right.  Had 
you  bought  one  glorious  Festiva  Maxima  with  your  dollar  you  would 
have  had  blooms  worth  while,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  good  roots  by  this 
time.  You  might  have  bought  the  beautiful  1'  Esperence  or  Andre 
Laures  for  50  cents  each,  and  had  early  and  late  blooms,  and  a  whole- 
sale lot  of  them.  Your  experience  was  worth  all  you  paid  for  your 
worthless  roots,  and  remember  there  are  many  dealers  who  keep  just  that 
kind  of  stock  for  just  such  customers.  It  pays  to  get  the  best.  We  have 
several  that  cost  $2.50  a  root,  wholesale,  in  England,  and  some  that  cost 
$5  a  root.  But  it  pays. 

Is  it  not  strange,  that  in  fitting  up  a  home,  one  is  so  lavish  on  the 
furnishings  and  so  parsimonious  on  the  outside  adornment?  I  have 
known  a  man  with  large  and  beautiful  grounds  and  a  home  that  cost 
thousands,  to  throw  up  his  hands  in  horror  at  having  to  pay  $40  for 
choice  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers  for  the  lawn.  You  build  a  costly  house, 
and  the  moment  you  enter  it,  it  begins  to  depreciate  in  value.  You  fill 
your  yard  with  choice  things,  and  they  begin  to  increase.  There  is  a 
gold  mine  there.  Work  it,  and  you  will  be  rich  in  the  beauty  it  gives. 
Don't  be  content  with  a  single  flower.  Get  masses  of  them.  A  lady 
came  for  some  phloxes.  She  wanted  three  for  her  town  home,  and 


Paeony  manual  23 

three  for  the  farm  of  160  acres.  Poor  things!  What  a  task  those  three 
flowers  had  in  brightening  a  large  farm.  Three  hundred  would  have 
been  nearer  the  thing. 

I  look  out  on  thousands  of  glorious  columbines,  mingling  their 
beauty;  hundreds  of  the  oriental  poppies,  that  blaze  in  their  splendor;  a 
host  of  gaillardias,  that  are  always  in  bloom,  from  June  till  November; 
and  there  are  5,000  phloxes  vicing  with  each  other.  Why  not  be  gener- 
ous with  yourself  out  of  doors  as  well  as  in  the  house?  If  you  were  fur- 
nishing a  new  home,  you  would  not  go  to  a  second  hand  store  and  get 
old  rag  carpets  because  they  were  cheap,  and  rickety  chairs  and  other 
furniture,  with  a  lot  of  old  bedsteads. 

In  fixing  up  your  front  yard,  why  not  have  the  best,  and  plenty  of  it? 
A  25  cent  Paeony  does  not  match  that  fine  parlor  set,  and  a  lone  flower 
or  two  will  look  cheap  compared  with  the  $50  rug.  It  is  much  better  to 
put  less  in  the  house,  and  more  on  the  outside,  where  it  will  grow  in 
value,  while  the  house  and  everything  in  it  begins  to  deteriorate  as  soon  as 
you  enter  it. 


CHAPTER  XII 


Cut  flowers 

More  and  more  choice  flowers  are  growing  in  favor.  It  is  amazing 
how  great  the  demand  is  for  roses,  carnations,  lilies  and  others.  The 
Paeony  stands  among  the  best.  Properly  handled,  it  keeps  a  long  time. 
They  should  be  cut  in  the  evening,  just  as  the  buds  begin  to  open.  Use 
a  long  stem.  Strip  off  the  lower  leaves  and  put  the  stems  in  water  over 
night.  They  absorb  moisture  enough  to  feed  the  flowers  and  keep  them 
from  wilting.  These  are  carefully  packed  in  a  box  and  sent  to  their  des- 
tination. If  there  are  too  many  in  the  box  and  the  flowers  are  wet  they 
will  heat  in  a  few  hours.  In  wet  weather  it  is  hard  to  get  the  remaining 
blooms  and  leaves  dry  enough  to  ship  any  distance.  We  have  found  the 
safest  way  is  to  put  moss  and  oiled  paper  around  bundles  of  twenty- 
five,  packing  them  as  carefully  as  possible,  and  leaving  the  box  a  little 
open.  When  the  flowers  reach  their  destination  they  are  put  in  cold 
storage,  where  they  are  kept  dormant  till  needed.  White  flowers  are 
much  used  for  weddings  and  funerals.  When  Mark  Hanna's  youngest 
daughter  was  married  the  house  was  most  beautifully  decorated  with 
white  Paeonys.  There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  keeping  qualities  of 
these  flowers.  The  single  ones  are  much  admired  while  growing  in  the 
garden,  but  they  are  much  more  short-lived  than  the  large  double  ones. 
Then  there  are  some  that  grow  old  gracefully,  like  La  Tulipe,  Baroness 
and  Festiva  Maxima.  Others  are  very  dilapidated  and  ugly  in  their  do- 
tage. Richardson's  Rubra  Superba  and  Tecumseh  are  fine  keepers.  So 
is  Grandiflora  Rubra.  The  former  can  be  kept  in  cold  storage  a  long 
time. 

Usually  the  first  flowers  of  a  plant  are  the  best.      If  you  wait  for 


24  €.  S.  garrison's 

some  to  bloom,  and  then  cut  the  buds  of  those  that  follow,  you  do  not 
get  as  good  specimens.  If  you  are  shipping,  watch  them  closely,  and  the 
first  harvest  will  prove  to  be  the  best. 

This  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the  flowers  for  Decoration  Day. 
Some  seasons  they  are  then  in  their  full  glory.  There  is  much  call  in  our 
northern  cities  for  those  raised  further  south.  In  most  of  our  northern 
states  early  bloomers  can  be  secure  1.  1'  Esperence,  a  lovely,  fragrant, 
French  pink,  is  generally  on  time  with  great  masses  of  bloom.  Florists 
should  especially  draw  the  attention  of  their  customers  to  these  flowers 
for  decoration,  and  create  a  demand  by  giving  their  names  and  charac- 
teristics. I  know  of  one  florist  who  secured  a  fine  lot  from  Europe,  but 
lost  their  names,  and  when  he  went  to  sell  them  he  called  them  "pinys," 
which  of  course  recalled  the  rank  odors  of  childhood. 

Let  the  florist  keep  the  finest.  What  rose  can  put  the  Solftare  to 
blush,  or  shame  the  Thorbeckii,  with  its  cinnamon  fragrance,  its  sumpt- 
uous beauty,  grand  in  size  with  its  rich  coloring  varnished  into  its  petals? 


Cutting  from  newly  Planted  Roots 

Where  you  have  strong  roots,  planted  in  the  fall  in  very  rich  ground, 
on  some  varieties  there  will  be  quite  a  crop  of  flowers.  Some  growers 
carefully  nip  off  all  the  buds  the  first  year,  thinking  it  will  exhaust  the 
plant.  Others  will  cut  them  close.  We  are  to  remember,  however,  that 
it  is  impossible  for  a  plant  to  do  its  best  the  first  season.  It  takes  three 
and  sometimes  four  years  for  some  varieties  to  show  what  they  can  do. 
I  often  receive  pitiful  letters  from  ladies  who  are  so  disappointed  that 
their  Paeonys  have  not  done  better,  when  they  had  been  planted  but  a 
few  months.  One  lady,  hearing  this  Manual  was  to  be  published,  has- 
tened to  secure  it  in  the  hope  that  it  would  throw  some  light  on  her  trou- 
ble. Inquiring  what  that  was,  she  had  planted  some  Paeonys  a  fe\\^ 
months  before  and  the  foliage  was  not  as  rank,  or  the  flowers  as  large  as 
those  of  her  neighbors.  An  excellent  remedy  in  such  cases  is  to  wait. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


Paeonys  and  insects 

It  is  said  truly  that  these  plants  have  the  fewest  insect  enemies  and 
diseases  of  any  of  our  flowers.  Yet  complaints  sometimes  come  in  re- 
garding ants.  These  often  cover  the  bud,  and  sometimes,  it  is  said,  in- 
jure the  flower.  What  is  the  reason  for  this.  I  once  forced  some 
Paeonys,  and  had  a  chance  to  watch  them  closely.  I  found  the  buds 
exuded  small  drops  of  purest  honey.  Tasting  it,  I  could  not  tell  the  dif- 
ference between  it  and  the  genuine  article.  After  that  I  noted  that  ants 
and  bees  and  all  sweet-loving  insects  were  very  busy  in  blooming  time. 


ROSE  PINK  PAEONY.    MADAM  GEISSLER 
By  Kindness  of  W.  A.  Peterson 


Paeon  v  manual  25 

Perhaps  it  is  not  generally  known  that  a  field  of  Paeonys  is  one  of  the  finest 
of  all  bee  pastures,  and  for  weeks  the  air  is  filled  with  the  hum  and  buzz 
of  honey  gatherers.  This  honey  is  what  the  ants  are  after.  They  are  in 
evidence  mostly  before  the  buds  open.  Sometimes  they  invade  the  flower 
for  the  nectar  hidden  there.  The  bee  is  busy  then  mixing  the  pollen, 
so  that  we  can  have  a  larger  variety.  One  remedy  is  to  have  more  flow- 
ers, so  the  insects  will  not  concentrate  on  the  lonely  few.  Those  who 
grow  them  in  quantities  are  never  troubled.  Another  remedy  is  to  put 
an  old  saucer  at  the  base  of  your  plant,  with  syrup  mixed  with  a  solu- 
tion of  arsenic.  But  as  this  is  hardly  fair  for  the  bees,  you  had  better 
try  the  first  remedy. 

Perhaps  in  time  people  will  learn  to  plant  in  masses.  Have  a  few 
choice  ones,  and  then  you  can  always  get  cheap  ones  that  will  flower, 
too,  for  $6  to  $10  per  hundred.  Flowers  need  company.  They  are  so- 
cial things. 


Diseases 

While  remarkable  for  its  robustness  and  health,  yet  sometimes  when 
it  is  very  wet,  the  foliage  will  rust  badly.  This  was  the  case  in  Nebras- 
ka in  1903.  The  remedy  is  to  spray  with  Bordeaux  Mixture.  I  did  not 
do  this.  It  is  only  a  transient  affair,  and  the  next  spring  and  summer  I 
never  saw  more  vigorous  foliage. 

Recently  there  has  come  to  us  an  account  of  what  is  called  the 
"drooping  disease."  A  white  mold  forms  on  the  diseased  stem  and 
clings  to  the  root  over  winter.  The  remedy  is  to  remove  the  stems  and 
the  earth  and  put  fresh  earth  around  the  plant.  Lime  would  probably 
be  of  assistance.  We  know  nothing  of  this  in  the  west. 


Che  five  Points  of  Excellence 

A  first-class  Paeony  should  be:  First,  symmetrical  and  beautiful  in 
form:  second,  fragrant;  third,  a  good  keeper  as  a  flower;  fourth,  a  pro- 
lific and  ready  bloomer;  fifth,  the  plant,  to  be  profitable,  must  be  vigorous, 
and  propagate  readily.  We  have  many  that  score  well  on  all  these  points. 


mission  of  the  Cops 

It  is  a  wise  provision  of  Nature  that  the  tops  should  fall  down  and 
shelter  the  roots  and  buds  in  winter.  They  make  a  good  covering  in  the 
absence  of  other  mulching.  If  they  grow  in  the  open  the  snow  naturally 
drifts  in,  detained  by  the  fallen  tops,  and  so  you  have  a  snow  bank  for 
additional  protection,  and  also  spring  irrigation  when  the  snow  thaws. 
Yet  in  a  visit  to  one  of  the  finest  Omaha  cemeteries  I  found  they  mowed 
off  the  tops,  to  have  the  surface  uniform,  and  to  prevent  the  snow  drifts, 
and  the  plants  were  blooming  beautifully.  This  might  do  in  our  present 
cycle  of  wet  seasons,  but  when  years  of  consecutive  drouth  return,  it 
would  be  better  to  leave  the  tops. 


26  C.  $.  farrlson's 

Trcaks 

Though  generally  sedate,  yet  this  flower  is  sometimes  erratic.  I 
just  received  a  severe  censure  from  a  man  because  his  Rubra  Triumph- 
ans,  blooming  a  few  months  after  planting,  came  single  instead  of  double. 
He  bought  of  me  because  he  thought  I  would  be  reliable,  and  he  didn't 
buy  any  single  Paeonys,  and  wanted  the  wrong  righted.  Now  this  flower, 
as  well  as  many  others,  is  ambitious  to  show  bloom  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  not  having  strength  to  produce  a  great,  double  flower,  gives  a  single 
one.  Victoria  Tricolor  will  bloom  anyway.  If  the  root  is  small  and 
out  but  a  few  months  it  is  bound  to  bloom.  That  seems  to  be  its  mis- 
sion. But  it  always  cuts  the  coat  according  to  the  cloth.  If  it  has  ma- 
terial to  make  a  great,  double  flower,  it  will  gladly  make  it.  If,  how- 
ever, it  is  short  of  capital,  it  will  do  the  best  it  can.  Seedlings  will 
often  bloom  single  for  years,  and  then  turn  double.  We  have  the  record 
of  one  that  blossomed  single  for  twenty  years,  and  then  bloomed  double. 
It  is  not  wise  to  discard  seedlings  till  fully  tested.  Absolutely  the  finest 
crimson  I  ever  saw  was  found  in  a  lot  of  rejected  seedlings.  After  a 
hard  freeze  in  spring  some  flowers  will  refuse  to  bloom  at  all,  and  others, 
damaged  in  the  bud,  may  have  inferior  blossoms.  Others,  like  Floral 
Treasure,  will  do  their  very  best  after  the  worst  abuse.  Very  often  the 
last,  out  of  season  blooms,  of  our  best  double  ones  will  be  little,  inferior, 
single  flowers. 

Do  not  sit  in  harsh  judgment  on  flowers  at  their  first  blooming.  You 
can  tell  little  about  them  except  their  color.  A  white  one  should  not  be 
red  or  crimson.  As  to  form  and  size,  suspend  judgment.  There  is  such 
a  confusion  in  names.  You  buy  a  genuine  Humei,  an  M.  Valliant  and  a 
Thorbeckii,  and  you  have  one  and  the  same  flower,  jet  one  of  our  very 
finest.  You  get  Bryant's  Humei,  Andre  Laures,  Fragrans,  Fragrant  Rose 
and  Late  Rose,  and  if  you  don't  get  the  same  thing  every  time,  you  come 
very  near  it,  and  all  the  parties  honest  in  it,  too.  Our  Paeony  society 
is  very  busy  getting  the  tangle  out  of  all  this  confusion. 


mill  Anything  Kill  Paeonys? 

They  are  called  hardy  as  paving  stones  and  as  tough  as  Scotch  this- 
tles. Yes,  it  can  be  done  if  you  know  how.  Plant  them  in  low,  wet 
ground,  where  the  water  can  stand  on  them,  and  you  will  succeed.  Put 
them  in  wet,  undrained  soil.  Let  the  snow  drift  on  them  before  the 
ground  freezes,  and  then  it  can  be  done.  I  have  known  some  in  grass 
and  weeds  during  three  years  of  consecutive  drouth  to  be  absolutely 
dried  out  and  killed.  It  has  been  done  by  driving  over  them  or  tramp- 
ing on  them  till  the  earth  is  like  a  brick  bat.  But  they  will  stand  all  that 
any  plant  can  and  offer  patient  and  quiet  resistance  as  long  as  possible, 
and  let  go  of  life  reluctantly. 

The  spring  of  1903  gave  them  the  hardest  test  I  ever  knew,  and 
showed  the  different  degrees  of  hardiness.  April  had  been  prematurely 
warm.  There  was  a  prospect  of  very  early  blooming.  The  stocks  were 
some  of  them  two  feet  tall  and  the  buds  were  swelling  rapidly.  Then 
on  the  night  of  the  29th,  there  came  a  genuine,  wintry,  sleet  storm,  and 


Paeony  manual  27 

the  plants  in  that  tender  condition  were  frozen  solid  in  a  coat  of  ice  for 
two  days.  When  they  thawed  out  they  all  looked  tired,  drooping  and 
water  soaked.  But  to  our  surprise  a  few  days  after  they  stood  erect  and 
went  right  on  with  their  preparation  for  blooming  as  though  nothing  had 
happened.  But  I  noticed  that  some  varieties  on  low  ground  took  such 
treatment  to  heart.  After  the  freeze  came  floods.  Fifteen  inches  of  rain 
fell  in  May.  Ground  usually  well  drained  became  a  quagmire.  Some 
kinds  could  not  endure  it.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  could  survive 
Waterloo,  but  not  such  treatment.  Why  the  name  of  a  grim,  old  war- 
rior should  be  given  to  such  a  flower  I  cannot  understand.  Little,  deli- 
cate Purity  was  too  tender  for  such  a  world.  Drop  White  dropped 
white,  and  so  did  everything  else.  The  loss  was  not  heavy,  just  enough 
to  show  that  they  could  be  killed. 

Right  beside  the  tender  ones  were  La  Tulipe,  Thorbeckii,  Alexan- 
der Dumas,  Model  of  Perfection,  Baroness  Schroder  and  fifty  other  sorts. 
The  main  plantation  was  in  a  rich,  well-drained  valley,  but  the  rail- 
road built  a  bridge,  which  proved  to  be  a  dam,  and  this  gave  way,  flood- 
ing the  field  four  feet  deep.  So  you  see  what  they  had  to  go  through. 
Sleet  storm  when  near  blooming,  a  flood  and  three  terrible  hail  storms, 
and  yet  there  was  no  loss  of  plants  in  that  field,  but  a  good  crop  of 
flowers. 

& 

J\  Good  Cist  for  Beginners 

We  often  receive  letters  asking  for  advice  on  the  best  kind  to  plant, 
something  hardy  and  vigorous,  that  will  increase  rapidly  and  that  will 
bloom  freely.  Victoria  Tricolor,  Reine  Victoria,  Victoria  Modesta, 
Thorbeckii  or  Genuine  Humei,  1'Esperence,  Edulis  Superba,  Rubra  Tri- 
umphans,  James  Vick,  Andre  Laures,  Late  Rose,  Grandiflora  Alba, 
Compte  de  Nantuel.  These  should  be  had  at  quite  reasonable  rates; 
good,  strong  roots.  One  need  not  be  entirely  confined  to  this  list. 
There  may  be  an  abundance  of  others  as  good. 

3* 

UMat  of  tfte  future  in  Paeony  Growing? 

Evidently  the  cheaper  sorts  will  remain  at  about  the  same  price,  for 
the  number  will  be  swelled  by  rejected  new  ones.  The  standard  varieties 
will  remain  about  as  they  are,  with  a  slight  advance.  The  new  or  rare 
sorts  of  especial  merit  will  keep  up  at  the  present  high  rate,  or  even  ad- 
vance, for  thousands  of  people  will  be  found  who  will  have  the  very  best, 
and  the  high  priced  ones  will  be  as  sure  an  investment  as  a  poor  man 
can  make.  An  invalid  lady  can  engage  with  success  in  this  industry.  I 
you  go  into  carnations  or  roses  you  will  need  costly  green  houses.  If 
you  wish  to  raise  Paeonys,  which  will  be  just  as  profitable,  the  directions 
of  this  Manual  will  give  you  just  as  good  a  chance  as  the  millionaire  has. 
There  is  probably  no  industry  so  important  and  profitable  that  can  be 
carried  on  with  such  little  expense  as  this.  You  may  be  poor,  with  only 
a  little  home  and  a  small  garden.  You  have  a  baby  girl,  and  you  look 
forward  to  the  time  when  she  will  enter  on  womanhood,  and  shudder  as 
you  think  she  will  have  nothing  with  which  to  begin  life.  Buy  a  genuine 
Baroness  Schroder,  or  Lady  Alexander  Duff,  or  Marguerite  Gerard;  one 


28  €.  $.  garrison's 

good,  strong  root,  and  let  it  grow,  and  take  care  of  it.  One  thousand 
in  ten  years.  How  many  in  twenty  years?  A  thousand  multiplied  by  a 
thousand.  You  would  in  fifteen  years  have  enough  to  retire  on.  This 
is  not  counting  chickens  before  they  are  hatched.  .  There  are  no  broken 
or  addled  eggs  among  them,  and  they  will  grow  for  the  poor  man  as  well 
as  the  rich.  "The  business  may  be  overdone  in  twenty  years."  Then 
all  the  flower  business  will  be  done  for,  and  there  will  be  no  more  call 
for  carnations  or  roses.  Festiva  Maxima  for  more  than  half  a  century 
has  been  on  the  market,  and  the  market  is  hungry  yet,  and  will  be.  If 
you  are  a  young  man  and  have  a  little  ground,  and  want  to  insure  your 
life,  buy  a  Paeony,  the  best  you  can  hear  of,  or  take  what  you  would  re- 
quire for  your  first  payment  and  purchase  several,  and  they  would  take 
as  good  care  of  you  as  the  insurance  companies  could.  These  compan- 
ies live  on  lapses,  and  those  securities  don't  lapse.  Should  you  die,  you 
are  sure  of  what  you  paid  in,  with  compound  growth,  which  means  com- 
pound interest. 

The  English  say  this  is  the  flower  for  the  "millions  and  the  million- 
aire." I  think  they  would  grow  better  for  the  poor  man  than  for  the 
rich,  for  he  would  regard  his  bed  of  choice  plants  as  his  gold  mine,  and 
would  take  the  best  of  care  of  it.  It  takes  years  to  learn  a  trade  and 
learn  it  well,  a  trade  that  will  lay  up  money  for  old  age.  It  takes  a 
good  deal  of  cash  to  go  into  business  which  will  bring  in  adequate  re- 
turns. But  it  takes  but  little  time,  or  cash  either,  to  get  a  few  of  these 
choice  plants,  and  then  love  them  and  care  for  them.  A  little  capital 
invested  in  this  way  can  be  kept  sacred  for  the  future,  and  insure  com- 
fort in  old  age.  There  are  no  doubtful  and  uncertain  board  of  trade 
complications  about  the  business.  Set  a  littlfc aside,  and  how  much  in- 
cidental enjoyment  you  would  reap  from  it.  Those  worshipful  flowers 
in  queenly  garments  saluting  you,  and  they  are  all  your  own,  and  their 
numbers  increasing  as  the  years  go  by;  an  income  from  the  blossoms  and 
a  greater  income  in  the  way  of  princely  enjoyment.  And  though  poor 
and  hard  working,  your  flowers  will  treat  you  ^as  well  as  if  you  were  roll- 
ing in  wealth,  swelling  with  pride  and  riding  in  an  automobile. 


Confusion  in  names 

As  we  go  to  press  complaints  pour  in  about  spurious  kinds,  under 
leading  names.  For  instance,  the  Baroness  Schroder,  described  in  this 
Manual,  is  the  correct  one.  A  description  was  given  it  by  the  writer  sev- 
eral years  ago,  and  the  whole  available  supply  was  bought  up.  We  wrote 
to  England  for  more,  and  none  could  be  had.  But  the  call  was  so  great 
that  the  demand  must  be  met,  and  so  an  English  firm  has  been  sending 
over  three  different  kinds  for  them,  just  as  they  have  been  sending  spu- 
rious kinds  for  Lady  Alexander  Duff. 

One  of  our  leading  growers  writes  me  that  he  has  been  importing 
from  Holland,  and  the  same  plan  prevails  there.  There  is  a  great  de- 
mand for  fine  leading  sorts,  and  so  the  name  will  be  attached  to  any 
kind  and  sent  over.  It  takes  a  year  or  two  to  find  out  the  mistake,  and 
then  the  seller  considers  that  the  account  has  grown  cold.  These  tricks 
will  have  the  tendency  to  send  guaranteed,  genuine  kinds,  held  by  Amer- 


Paaony  manual  29 

lean  growers,  up  soaring.      A  man  would  rather  pay  £5   for  a   certainty 
than  five  cents  for  some  cheap  affair. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


herbaceous  Paecnys 

Within  the  past  ten  years  this  magnificent  section  of  hardy,  herba- 
ceous, flowering  plants  has  been  brought  into  very  prominent  notice  be- 
cause of  the  general  improvement  in  varieties  of  comparatively  recent 
origin.  In  these  newer  sorts  the  flowers  have  attained  immense  propor- 
tions, reaching  in  some  instances  the  large  size  of  seven  to  nine  inches 
in  diameter  and  five  to  six  inches  in  depth.  The  range  of  color  is  also 
so  varied  that  almost  every  tint  of  pink,  white,  red,  crimson  and  even 
yellow  is  comprised  in  the  list.  The  vigor  and  habit  of  the  plants  have 
been  so  improved  that  stems  two  and  one-half  to  three  feet  in  length,  and 
sufficiently  strong  to  properly  support  the  immense  blooms,  are  now 
grown.  There  is  an  element  of  practical,  permanent  value  in  the  Paeony; 
that  is,  the  plants  once  purchased  and  planted  in  suitable  soil,  continue 
to  increase  in  size  and  profusion  of  bloom,  and  pay  a  generous  annual 
dividend  in  the  way  of  an  enormous  crop  of  magnificent,  deliciously  fra- 
grant blooms  that  are  unsurpassed  for  decorative  purposes.  During  the 
past  season  the  popular  use  of  Paeonys  for  decorative  purposes  is  amply 
evidenced  by  the  greatly  increasing  sale  of  the  cut  blooms  in  the  large 
cities,  where  thousands  of  splendid  flowers  found  ready  market  at  hand- 
some prices.  This  increased  demand  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  in- 
troduction of  the  more  recent  varieties,  which  are  wonderful  improve- 
ments over  the  older  sorts.  The  popular  interest  in  the  Paeony  will  re- 
ceive an  additional  impetus  from  the  organization  of  the  American 
Paeony  Society,  which  comprises  within  its  membership  the  majority  of 
the  largest  commercial  Paeony  growers,  as  well  as  many  amateurs.  The 
interest  in  the  Paeony  is  not,  however,  confined  to  the  special  society 
above  mentioned,  as  the  Society  of  American  Florists  has  recognized  its 
importance  by  the  appointment  of  a  Paeony  ccmmittee,  for  the  purpose 
of  gathering  and  collating  information  concerning  it.  The  joint  efforts 
of  these  two  florists'  societies  presage  such  an  active  presentation  of  its 
merits  as  will  result  in  an  increased  knowledge  of  its  value  and  in  largely 
augmenting  its  use.  —  C.  W.  Ward,  President  of  American  Paeony  Society. 


It  is  surprising  that  so  noble  a  flower,  almost  rivaling  the  rose  in 
brilliancy  of  color  and  perfection  of  bloom,  and  the  Rhododendron  in 
stately  growth,  should  be  so  neglected.  Amateurs  seem  to  have  lost  sight 
of  the  many  improved  varieties  introduced  within  the  last  few  years,  and 
our  finest  gardens,  perfect  in  other  respects,  are  singularly  deficient  in 


3o  C.  $.  Garrison's 

specimens  of  the  newer  kinds.  The  first  point  in  their  favor  is  hardiness. 
It  may  be  truly  said  of  them  that  they  are  "hardy  as  an  oak."  In  the 
severest  climate  the  plants  require  no  other  protection  than  that  which 
they  afford  themselves.  Then  their  vigorous  habit  and  healthy  growth, 
freedom  from  all  diseases  and  insects,  are  important  arguments  in  favor 
of  their  cultivation  Growers  of  roses  know  well  that  their  flowers  are 
obtained  by  great  vigilance  and  care.  Not  so  with  the  Paeony,  which, 
when  once  planted,  all  is  done.  Each  succeeding  year  adds  to  their 
size  and  beauty.  The  foliage  is  rich  and  glossy  and  of  a  beautiful,  deep 
green  color,  thus  rendering  the  plants  very  ornamental  even  when  out  of 
flower.  The  newer  varieties  produce  very  large,  handsome,  regularly 
formed  cupped  blossoms  resembling  large  roses.  No  other  flower  is  so 
well  adapted  for  large,  showy  bouquets.  The  Paeony  may  be  planted 
either  singly  on  the  lawn  or  in  borders.  Where  the  lawn  is  extensive  a 
large  bed  makes  a  grand  show,  surpassing  a  bed  of  Rhododendrons.  It 
is  really  a  flower  for  the  million.  They  blossom  early  in  June.  Our 
collection  has  been  made  with  great  care  and  includes  the  best  and  most 
distinct  varieties.  —  Ellwanger  &  Barry,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


and  Cm  Paconys 

Very  few  of  us  who  are  along  in  years  but  can  well  remember  the 
old  red  Paeony  of  ou^  childhood.  Paeonia  Officinalis  Rubra  was  prob- 
ably brought  by  the  earlier  settlers  from  England  and  planted  in  nearly 
every  country  dooryard  and  garden.  It  is  often  seen  now  in  the  eastern 
states,  growing  within  a  few  feet  of  the  houses,  and  its  first  double,  rich 
crimson  flowers  are  as  much  a  delight  to  the  youthful  members  of  the 
family  as  they  were  centuries  ago.  Later  on  double  white  and  other  va- 
rieties were  introduced,  but  it  was  not  till  within  the  memory  of  this  gen- 
eration that  new  varieties  had  increased  by  the  score  and  hundred.  .  . 
The  varieties  of  the  Herbaceous  Paeony  have  of  late  years  been  im- 
mensely improved,  till  one  European  nurseryman  catalogues  about  800 
varieties.  We  have  now  all  shades  of  color,  from  the  most  intense  vio- 
let purple  to  the  purest  white,  from  the  size  and  shape  of  the  half-opened 
Jacqueminot  rose  to  that  of  an  immense  water  lily  some  seven  or  eight 
inches  in  diameter.  In  many  we  have  the  most  delicate  and  delightful 
perfume,  while  none  are  in  any  way  disagreeable.  We  have  single  as 
well  as  double  varieties,  and  the  season  of  blooming,  from  the  earliest 
to  the  latest,  extends  over  five  or  six  weeks.  The  single  varieties  are 
just  as  hardy  as  the  double>  generally  among  the  earliest,  and  are  very 
beautiful  in  a  cut  state  .....  Of  the  many  enthusiastic  cultiva- 
tors of  the  Paeony  in  France,  Germany  and  England,  perhaps  no  one 
did  more  to  bring  this  valuable  plant  to  the  notice  and  appreciation  of 
the  public  than  the  late  James  Kelway,  of  Langport,  England.  With  his 
son  William,  after  collecting  the  best  varieties  obtainable,  he  commenced 
a  regular  system  of  hybridization  and  of  raising  new  varieties  from  seeds. 
Many  of  these  seedlings  in  beauty  of  form,  sweetness  of  perfume  and 
delicacy  of  coloring,  are  close  rivals  of  the  rose,  the  orchid  and  the  water 
lily.  —  T.  C.  Thurlow,  in  The  American  Florist,  who  sold  his  collection 
a  few  years  ago  for  $7,000. 


Paeony  manual  3i 

Che  herbaceous  Paeony  of  Co-day 

The  development  and  increase  of  popularity  of  the  Paeony  have 
been  unparalleled  among  flowers.  Fifty  years  ago  the  development  had 
begun,  but  the  results  of  the  experimenters  were  known  to  but  few  people 
comparatively.  In  1855  only  twenty-four  varieties  were  known  in  Eng- 
land, although  nearly  two  hundred  were  known  on  the  continent.  There 
are  now  in  the  market  probably  1,500  sorts,  which  have  originated  in 
Japan,  France,  Holland,  England  and  this  country.  The  public  has 
been  quick  to  note  the  improvements  and  appreciate,  them,  until  now  no 
flower  is  more  popular  than  the  Paeony  in  June.  Paeonys  range  in  col- 
or from  purest  white  through  the  various  shades  of  pink,  lilac,  rose  and 
red,  to  the  deepest  blood  red  and  purplish  carmine  in  every  possible 
combination  of  shade,  form  and  size.  Many  are  delightfully  fragrant. 
Paeonys,  like  most  tuberous  plants,  when  dormant,  stand  considerable 
exposure,  and  can  be  shipped  long  distances  with  safety.  They  are  never 
attacked  by  any  insect,  animal  or  fungal  disease,  nor  do  the  plants  re- 
quire any  covering  during  the  severest  weather;  in  fact,  they  are  among 
the  most  hardy,  showy  and  easily  grown  of  all  the  garden  flowers.  — 
W.  A.  Peterson,  of  Chicago,  one  of  the  most  extensive  growers,  and  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Paeony  Society. 


Culture 

Paeonys  will  thrive  in  all  kinds  of  soil,  but  do  best  in  a  deep,  rich 
loam.  They  are  gross  feeders  and  demand  a  great  quantity  of  water 
during  the  blooming  season.  If  grown  in  partial  shade,  the  blooms  will 
last  longer  and  be  just  as  large  and  fine  in  every  other  way.  They 
should  be  planted  with  the  eyes  two  inches  below  the  surface,  and  the 
ground  pressed  firmly  about  the  roots.  Though  Paeonys  may  be  safely 
transplanted  in  the  spring,  the  best  time  is  early  in  the  fall,  beginning 
September  ist.  There  is  then  the  least  shock  to  the  roots  and  the  least 
danger  of  losing  a  year's  blooms.  —  W.  A.  Peterson. 


Cfte  Paeony  Root 

Is  a  fusiform  or  spindle-shaped  affair,  hard  and  fleshy,  in  appearance 
between  a  Dahlia  and  Rhubarb  root;  which  fact,  and  the  store  of 
juices  contained  in  a  well-matured  piece,  explains  why  Paeonys  will 
travel  so  safely  and  well  to  distant  lands.  Paeonys,  however  small  the 
plant,  as  long  as  there  is  an  eye,  will  grow;  it  is  difficult  to  kill  them; 
but  they  are  impatient  of  removal,  and  should  be  left  in  situ  until  their 
full  glory  has  made  itself  apparent  —  and  afterwards.  They  may  be  wat- 
ered as  much  as  desired,  either  with  pure  water  or  liquid  manure,  and 
will  delight  in  the  luxury  and  repay  the  cultivator  by  the  increased  size 
and  rich  coloring  of  the  flowers;  watering  is  not  absolutely  necessary, 
but  is  very  beneficial,  and  in  very  shallow  soils  should  certainly  not  be 
omitted.  A  mulch  or  a  covering  of  manure  or  leaf  litter,  etc.,  is  also  to 
be  recommended;  it  will  keep  the  ground  moist  in  hot  weather.  The 


32  €.  $.  garrison's 

further  apart — in  reason— that  Paeonys  are  planted  the  better;  individ- 
ual success  governs  the  effect  as  a  whole;  but  a  good  way  for  quick 
effect  in  beds,  etc.,  is  to  plant  about  18  inches  apart,  and  to  move  every 
alternate  plant  either  the  first  or  second  year;  for  3  to  4  feet  is  not  too 
much  between  Paeonys  which  are  eventually  to  become  large  clumps. — 
Kelway. 

Jf 

Plants  to  Grow  with  Paconys 

Many  things  can  be  planted  actually  between  and  amongst  Paeonys, 
many  bulbs  and  dwarf  Alpines,  and,  of  course,  in  beds  and  borders 
Paeonys  plant  well  alternately  with  such  subjects  as  Delphiniums,  Gail- 
lardias,  Hardy  Lobelias,  Michaelmas  Daises,  etc.,  or  in  front  of  tall 
growing  subjects.  Some  of  our  customers  are  making  interesting  ex- 
periments as  to  suitable  companions  for  them.  Gladioli,  flowering 
when  the  Paeonys  are  long  past,  Narcissi  and  Scillas,  are  among  the 
most  admirable  of  consorts  for  them;  and  Shakespeare  himself  must  have 
noticed  the  suitability  of  the  lily,  for  he  speaks  of  "Thy  banks  with 
paeonied  and  lilied  brim"  in  the  "Tempest."  We  have  referred  to  the 
beauty  of  the  foliage  of  the  Herbaceous  Paeony;  this  should  be  left  on 
the  plants  as  long  as  it  is  an  ornament,  unless  it  is  required  for 
the  house,  and  only  be  removed  when  dark  decay  has  made  headway. 
—Kelway. 

& 

tributes  from  the  Press 

A  GORGEOUS  GIFT. — Business  was  suspended  in  the  office  of  the 
Northwestern  Agriculturist  for  some  time  last  week,  while  the  employes 
revelled  in  the  huge  box  of  Paeony  blooms  sent  us  by  C.  S.  Harrison, 
of  York,  Neb.  Mr.  Harrison  is  a  Paeony  enthusiast,  and  now  has  on 
his  place  some  40,000  Paeonys  in  bloom,  including  400  varieties.  Such 
a  mass  of  flowers  must  seem  like  a  sunset  smashed  to  flinders  and  wreck- 
ed on  the  ground.  Even  a  two-bushel  box  of  the  gorgeous  blossoms 
caused  one  lady  to  exclaim  in  rapture,  "Well,  the  good  Lord  did  make 
this  beautiful  world,  indeed. " 

PAEONY  PERFUME. — The  time  for  Paeony  planting  is  now  here. 
They  are  very  sweetly  scented,  some  being  redolent  of  purest  attar  of 
roses,  and  others  sweet  and  tonic  at  the  same  time,  like  violets  and  chrys- 
anthemums in  combination.  Messrs.  Kelway  sent  me  a  box  of  blooms 
last  spring,  and  I  can  truthfully  tell  you  that  I  never  saw  such  fine 
flowers  in  my  life.  I  filled  a  bow  pot  with  them,  and  wasted  all  my  time 
in  loafing  round  that  beautiful  bunch  of  Paeonys  what  time  it  lasted  fresh 
— about  ten  or  twelve  days. —  Hearth  and  Home. 

FRAGRANCE  OF  PAEONYS. — It  is  not  customary  to  class  the  Herba- 
ceous Paeony  among  sweet-scented  flowers,  but  many  of  the  varieties 
are  very  much  more  fragrant  than  some  roses  and  carnations.  Some  are 
quite  delicately  perfumed,  and  it  is  curious  that  some  of  them  almost  ex- 
actly mimic  the  queen  of  flowers  in  this  respect.  I  gathered  lately  a 
bloom  from  a  light  pink  variety,  the  name  of  which  I  did  not  know,  and 


JUNO       BELLE  OF  YORK      GEN.  LAWTON 


CORONATION  GENERAL  GRANT 


Paeony  manual  33 

the  odor  was  so  much  like  that  of  Gloire  de  Dijon  Rose  that  with  closed 
eyes  it  was  almost  impossible  to  detect  the  difference.  I  think  it  doubt- 
ful if  the  fragrance  of  this  extremely  showy  and  very  hardy  plant  is  gen- 
erally appreciated.  —  The  Garden. 


Boston  Record's  Account  of  a  Great  Paeony  Show 

PAEONYS  ATTRACT  FLOWER  LOVERS  TO  HORTICULTURAL  HALL  TO- 
DAY. —  Paeonys  to-day  claim  the  admiration  of  the  public  at  Horticultural 
Hall.  The  place  is  ablaze  with  the  gorgeous  coloring  of  these  blossoms, 
which  seem  to  have  reached  the  full  extent  of  perfection  and  variety. 
The  public  thronged  the  place  at  the  noon  hour.  Slowly  one  old  woman 
climbed  the  long  front  stair.  She  held  by  the  hand  a  chubby  child  who 
took  two  steps  to  her  one.  As  she  reached  the  top  and  looked  in  at  the 
door  she  took  a  long  breath  with  satisfaction,  and  said,  "That's  just  the 
way  my  grandma's  garden  smelt  when  I  was  a  little  girl  like  you."  As 
she  passed  in  the  hall  and  slowly  walked  around  the  tables,  she  exclaimed, 
"Well,  I  never!  Do  you  see  those  single  Paeonys?  I  never  saw  one  of 
those  before.  They  look  like  immense  single  roses."  Those  single 
Paeonys,  blushing  pink  with  hearts  of  gold,  are  something  entirely  new, 
and  belong  to  T.  C.  Thurlow,  of  West  Newbury.  He  is  one  of  the  larg- 
est exhibitors  in  the  country,  and  has  some  superb  flowers.  Most  of  his 
flowers  were  from  roots  that  came  from  England,  and  they  were  the 
finest  ever  exhibited.  He  showed  some  perfect  white  varieties,  some 
wonderful  double  ones  that  looked  more  like  chrysanthemums  than  any- 
thing else. 

PAEONYS  FOR  COLOR  EFFECT.  —  The  "wealth  of  globed  Paeonys"  has 
during  the  present  month  produced  such  a  glorious  display  of  color  in 
gardens  in  which  the  varieties  belonging  to  the  herbaceous  section  are 
adequately  represented  as  to  prove  to  demonstration  their  great  value  in 
bold  grouping,  and  to  suggest  that  with  their  aid  many  gardens  might  be 
made  more  beautiful  in  "leafy  June"  than  is  possible  under  existing  con- 
ditions. Their  bold,  spreading  leafage  and  massive  flowers  render  them 
especially  useful  in  the  creation  of  striking  color  effects,  and  these  char-. 
acteristics  in  conjunction  with  their  resplendent  hues  remove  them  so  far 
from  other  hardy-plants  flowering  in  June  that  to  institute  comparison 
would  serve  no  useful  purpose.  The  descendants  of  Paeony  Albiflora, 
which  have  for  upwards  of  300  years  occupied  a  prominent  position  in 
English  gardens,  form  a  group  perfectly  distinct  from  all  other  plants  of 
their  season,  and  combine  effectiveness  and  beauty  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree. The  range  of  color  that  has  been  obtained,  as  one  of  the  results 
of  the  long-continued  efforts  of  the  several  raisers,  is  very  wide,  being 
bounded  on  one  side  by  the  snowy  whiteness  of  the  flowers  of  the  elegant 
P,  Whitleyi,  and  the  rich  sanguineous  crimson  of  that  old  favorite,  P. 
Officinalis.  Between  these  points  there  is  a  multiplicity  of  shades,  which 
in  some  instances  so  closely  approach  each  other  as  to  render  it  no  easy 
task  to  distinguish  them.  The  diversity  in  the  form  of  the  flowers  is  not 
less  remarkable  than  is  the  range  of  coloring;  not  only  are  there  single, 
double,  and  anemone-like  flowers,  but  the  blooms  of  many  of  the  varie- 
ties in  each  section  differ  materially  from  each  other,  and  add  greatly  to 

5- 


34  €.  $.  garrison's 

the  charm  a  representative  collection  is  so  well  able  to  give  to  the  gar- 
den. Arranged  in  groups,  each  consisting  of  one  variety;  in  the  herba- 
ceous border;  and  in  beds  on  the  grass  in  the  less-frequented  parts  of  the 
pleasure  grounds,  they  are  singularly  effective,  but  in  no  part  of  the  gar- 
den do  they  appear  to  greater  advantage  than  when  planted  in  masses  in 
the  shrubbery  border.  The  shrubs  not  only  form  an  excellent  back- 
ground to  the  brilliant  colors,  but  they  shelter  the  flowers  from  storms  of 
wind  and  rain,  and  thereby  in  many  seasons  greatly  prolong  their  beauty, 
more  particularly  in  the  case  of  the  singles.  The  value  of  the  Herba- 
ceous Paeonys  is  not  limited  to  their  attractiveness  in  the  garden;  their 
flowers  are  exceedingly  useful  for  indoor  decorations,  especially  on  fes- 
tive occasions,  when  bold  grouping  and  the  association  of  plants  and  cut 
flowers  are  desirable.  —  The  Gardeners'  Magazine. 


Cbc  Paeony  a$  Seen  by  an  flmatenr 

In  the  acquisition  and  culture  of  the  newer  varieties  of  Paeonys,  the 
amateur  has  a  great  pleasure  in  store.  Few  of  those  who  find  the  solace 
of  their  leisure  hours  in  floriculture  have  any  conception  of  the  improve- 
ment which  has  been  made  in  the  Paeony.  They  are  all  accustomed  to  the 
sturdy  plants,  which,  resisting  exposure,  neglect  and  ill  usage,  stood  in 
the  old  fashioned  garden,  flaunting  each  spring  their  blossoms  of  white, 
red  and  pink.  Grand  old  plants  these  were,  and  worthy  progenitors  of 
the  exquisite  creations  of  the  modern  hybridist,  which  are  now  first  of- 
fered to  flower  lovers;  but  the  Paeony  lover  of  a  generation  ago  would 
hardly  recognize  his  favorite  flower  in  the  gorgeous  blooms  he  will  see  at 
the  coming  exhibition  of  the  American  Paeony  Society.  The  most  vivid 
crimsons,  the  most  satiny  pinks,  the  most  creamy  whites,  will  feast  his 
eye  in  every  gradation  of  shade  and  every  variation  of  form  and  shape 
that  Nature,  with  her  wealth  of  ingenuity,  can  devise. 

But  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  amateur,  beauty  of  form  and  color  is 
not  enough.  These  are  often  secured  by  care,  skill  and  appliances  which 
are  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  the  ordinary  person.  The  amateur 
needs  a  plant  whose  culture  is  simple  and  whose  needs  he  can  supply, 
and  the  Paeony  in  these  respects  is  the  typical  flower  for  him.  In  his 
garden  and  with  his  own  hands  he  can  produce  as  fine  blossoms  as  the 
expert  who  originated  and  produced  the  variety.  Given  a  good,  ordi- 
nary soil,  well  fertilized  with  a  shovelful  of  old  manure,  and  a  few 
months'  healthy  exercise,  and  the  amateur,  in  his  limited  space  and  with 
his  limited  means  and  appliances,  can  set  and  start  a  plant  which  will 
each  year  increase  in  size  and  beauty.  I  will  say  of  the  Paeony  that  I 
believe  it  will  be  for  the  next  decade  the  most  planted  and  most  popular 
hardy  flower. 

Go  to  the  coming  exhibition,  Mr.  Amateur.  See  the  flowers,  buy 
the  roots  and  plant  them,  and  see  for  yourself  if  my  encomiums  are  not 
warranted.  —  Frank  B.  Lown,  in  American  Gardening 

& 

OK  Paeony  a$  a  Decorative  flower 

The  flowers  should  be  cut  with  stems   as   long   as   possible,  and   the 


Paeony  manual  35 

stems  put  in  water  in  a  cool  cellar  or  ice  box  for  ten  or  twelve  hours  be- 
fore being  used.  For  decorative  work  I  prefer  the  single  or  semi-double 
varieties  of  Herbaceous  Paeonys.  For  large  work,  the  Tree  or  Moutan 
Paeony  is  very  stunning. 

Last  June  we  decorated  a  reception  room  entirely  with  Paeonys.  We 
covered  the  entire  ceilings  and  walls  with  strands  of  wire  and  hung  the 
small,  single  Japanese  varieties  irregularly  over  the  entire  ceiling.  By  this  I 
mean  that  some  of  the  flowers  hung  six  to  twelve  inches  lower  than  oth- 
ers, giving  a  shower  effect.  The  sides  of  the  room  were  done  in  panels 
of  the  larger  semi-double  varieties  on  a  background  of  asparagus  plumo- 
sus.  The  reception  was  at  noon,  and  the  following  morning,  when  the 
decorations  were  taken  down,  the  Paeonys  were  in  fairly  good  condition, 
proving  that  under  proper  treatment  the  Paeony  has  lasting  qualities  as 
a  decorative  flower. 

As  a  cut  flower  on  the  breakfast,  lunch  or  dinner  table,  we  use  one 
color  suitable  to  the  room  and  the  buyer,  and  only  one  variety,  if  we 
have  enough  of  it. 

Some  three  years  ago  I  used  some  fifty  Tree  Paeonys  in  pots  in  a 
decoration.  They  were  very  much  admired  and  it  was  a  profitable  in- 
vestment, as  I  am  still  reaping  the  benefit  of  it,  proving  that  the  public 
has  only  to  see  to  buy.  —  J.  H.  Troy,  in  American  Gardening. 


The  following  regarding  Mr.  VV.  A.  Peterson's  Paeonys  is  from  The 
Weekly  Florists'  Review:      Alth™^   -- 


3 

\ 

t 

ii 
tl 
b 

P 

o: 

ol 

ri< 

be 

ed 

tic 
ro: 


36  €.  $.  garrison's 

the  blooms  are  seven  inches  in  diameter,  when  fully  developed,  and 
about  five  inches  deep. 

The  sale  of  plants  and  cut  flowers  has  increased  wonderfully  in  the 
last  few  years,  the  Paeony  enjoying  an  era  of  popularity  heretofore  un- 
known to  this  flower.  Of  course  large  numbers  of  plants  are  moved  in 
the  spring,  but  growers  agree  that  it  is  very  much  to  be  desired  that 
planting  be  done  in  the  fall,  and  Mr.  Peterson  recommends  that  all 
planting  be  done  in  September.  He  says  the  plants  divided  and  reset  at 
that  time  will  make  one-third  more  growth  the  next  season  than  if  plant- 
ed so  late  that  root  action  does  not  begin  before  frost.  He  thinks  this 
is  a  great  drawback  to  European  importations,  as  most  of  them  arrive 
so  late  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  them  started  well  the  same  season,  and 
it  takes  two  years  to  find  out  what  they  really  can  do. 

Certain  complaints  about  the  failure  of  plants  to  bloom  satisfactorily 
have  led  Mr.  Peterson  to  make  some  experiments  which  have  convinced 
him  that  the  seed  follicles  should  be  removed  from  the  plants  after  the 
bloom  has  passed.  Do  not  let  them  stay  on  and  wither,  or  it  will  cut 
down  the  amount  of  bloom  the  following  season.  This  has  been  shown 
by  careful  tests  with  plants  growing  side  by  side. 


CHAPTER  XV 


tiow  nohn  mem  to 

Twelve  years  ago  a  family  by  the  name  of  Skeels  was  living  on  a 
broad,  bleak  prairie,  fifty  miles  or  so  west  of  Yankton.  There  were 
four  children;  the  oldest  was  John.  He  was  a  noble  fellow,  full  of  push 
and  vim,  and  very  ambitious.  He  was  a  good  scholar  and  soon  got  as 
far  as  he  could  in  the  common  school.  His  dream  day  and  night  was  to 
go  to  Yankton  college.  He  had  heard  the  president  speak,  and  he  be- 
came inspired  with  the  idea  of  a  full  course.  He  had  no  great  desire 
for  any  profession.  He  thought  there  was  no  calling  on  earth  as  noble 
as  farming,  and  he  wanted  a  place  at  the  top.  How  to  secure  the  means 
was  the  question.  He  talked  it  over  with  father  and  mother,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  way  out.  The  house  was  small,  and  there  was  a  mort- 
gage on  the  farm,  and  wheat  raising  was  uncertain.  Some  years  there 
would  be  a  drouth  or  a  flood,  and  a  whole  year  wasted. 

"Well,  let  me  buy  a  heifer  and  raise  stock  from  her." 

"She  would  eat  us  out  of  the  farm  with  her  numerous  progeny  in 
ten  years,  and  you  would  have  so  much  to  do  you  couldn't  help  me. 
You  are  my  main  dependence,  and  I  cannot  mortgage  my  farm  to  a  herd 
of  cattle." 

"Let  me  buy  a  pig,  then." 

"Well,  there  is  the  same  objection.  You  might  get  fifty  pigs  and 
fatten  them  and  they  would  drain  the  farm,  and  when  ready  for  market 
all  might  die  of  cholera." 

Johnnie  saw  the  point,  for  one  of  the  neighbors  had  met  with  a  fear- 
ful loss,  and  he  saw  fifty  dead  at  one  time. 

About  this  time  the  mother  visited  the  east,  and  on  Decoration  Day 


25297,3 


^cxn  wv.  acii  cut  uowersr 

''Yes,  as  soon  as  you  have  enough  to  pay.  Yankton  will  need  some, 
and  often  they  will  bloom  for  Decoration  Day,  when  there  is  always  a 
great  call  for  them." 

"What  will  the  roots  cost?" 

"About  fifty  cents  each  for  the  finer  grade.  We  have  cheaper  ones, 
but  these  would  give  the  best  of  satisfaction  I  have  some  that  cost  me 
$2.50  a  root  in  England,  and  though  it  pays  me,  I  would  advise  you  to 
take  these  at  a  more  moderate  price." 

"This,"  says  she,  "solves  a  great  problem.  They  will  not  eat  a 
farm  up.  They  require  but  little  room.  A  boy  can  care  for  them.  I 
saved  $5.00  to  buy  a  dress  with.  I  will  take  ten  roots  of  Paeonys  and 
pay  you  now,  and  send  them  next  spring." 

"No,  I  will  send  them  in  September.  You  plant  them  then,  and 
water  thoroughly,  if  it  is  dry.  Plant  about  two  inches  below  the  sur- 
face, and  in  your  cold  country  throw  about  four  inches  of  coarse  manure 
over  them  just  as  the  ground  freezes  You  plant  a  Paeony  in  September, 
and  if  you  should  take  it  up  in  November  you  would  be  amazed  at  the 
growth  of  small  roots  all  ready  for  a  grand  push  in  the  spring.  Get  some 
hen  manure,  a  wheelbarrow  load.  Have  it  well  mixed  with  the  soil  and 
spaded  two  feet  deep.  Keep  the  ground  wet,  so  that  fertilizing  will  be 
well  incorporated  by  fall,  for  it  might  burn  the  roots  to  have  it  near  them 
in  a  raw  state.  We  will  send  you  ten  roots  by  express." 

When  Mrs.  Skeels  went  home  she  told  what  she  had  done,  and  un- 
folded her  plan.  She  told  how  those  flowers  were  healthy  and  had  no 
disease  or  insect  enemies,  how  fast  they  would  probably  increase;  and 
all  went  into  the  plans  with  great  zest.  You  may  believe  that  little  plat 


Pawny  manual  39 

of  ground  was  well  cared  for,  and  if  the  parents  had  not  restrained  them 
there  would  have  been  a  wagon  load  of  fertilizer  gathered.  But  Johnnie 
was  persuaded  not  to  kill  his  friends  with  kindness.  I  would  say  here 
that  this  preparation  is  not  always  necessary.  Other  manure  will  answer. 

Next  year  there  were  flowers.  Did  you  ever  see  such  happy  chil- 
dren? The  love  of  the  beautiful  which  had  lain  in  bud  in  their  souls, 
burst  out  in  full  bloom,  like  those  glorious  flowers,  and  no  one  supposed 
before  there  could  be  so  much  delight  in  so  small  a  piece  of  ground. 
That  ground  became  a  sacred  spot.  Not  a  weed  was  allowed  to  grow, 
and  in  dry  weather  was  floode  1  with  water.  In  the  spring  of  the  second 
summer  John  commenced  preparations  for  September  planting.  He  was 
curious  to  know  how  many  he  would  get.  The  florist  said  he  got  five 
from  a  root.  Could  he  do  as  well?  In  September  he  asked  his  father 
to  dig  up  and  count  the  roots,  and  there  were  fully  fifty  of  them,  besides 
several  roots  without  heads  that  fell  off,  and  small  buds  without  roots. 
They  had  heard  that  even  these  buds  would  live.  So  they  were  planted, 
and  sure  enough  they  came  up,and  in  time  made  strong  roots.  The  headless 
roots  were  put  thick  in  a  pit,  four  inches  below  the  surface,  tops  up,  and 
the  next  year  many  or  these  had  formed  heads,  and  they  were  planted 
out.  Some  took  two  years  to  form  buds,  and  some  never  came  to  a  head. 

The  next  spring  a  rather  presuming  neighbor  came  and  said,  "I 
want  to  get  a  lot  of  your  piny  roots  to  plant  out;  I  hear  you  have  a  lot 
of  them." 

•     Johnnie  said,  "We  have  none  to  sell." 

"Well,  I  didn't  expect  to  buy.  My  mother  used  to  give  them  away," 
and  away  she  went  off  in  a  huff,  feathers  all  ruffled. 

"As  well  ask  us  to  give  her  a  pig  or  a  calf,"  said  John.  "Not 
much  We  will  not  cheapen  our  treasures  by  giving  them  away." 

At  the  same  time  he  determined,  when  he  had  a  stock,  to  give  one 
now  and  then  to  some  poor  mother,  whose  soul  was  sick  with  longing 
for  the  beautiful,  or  some  sickly  girl,  who  would  revel  in  the  delight  of 
one  of  these  flowers.  But  he  preferred  to  send  flowers  rather  than  roots. 

The  fourth  year  there  were  250,  and  two  years  after  there  were  1,250. 
Then  John  concluded  he  could  spare  a  few,  so  as  to  go  to  the  academy. 
He  sold  them  for  what  he  paid,  fifty  cents  each.  And  people  seeing 
them  were  delighted  with  the  chance  to  buy.  This  was  not  all.  John's 
Paeony  garden  became  a  Mecca  for  the  lovers  of  the  beautiful.  Some 
people  drove  twenty  miles  to  see  them,  and  there  were  excursions  from 
neighboring  towns.  Orders  came  in  so  that  the  boy's  stock  was  threat- 
ened. He  saw  and  got  some  other  kinds,  the  splendid  Humei,  a  great 
ball  of  beauty,  with  cinnamon-like  fragrance,  and  satiny  pink. 

Suffice  it  to  say  John  graduated,  and  commencement  was  made  glo- 
rious by  the  display  of  a  load  of  those  splendid  flowers,  and  the  eyes  of 
hundreds  were  opened  to  the  possibilities  of  beauty  on  the  bleak  prairies 
of  Dakota.  Mrs.  Skeels'  five  dollars  brought  forth  a  thousand  fold. 

To  John  came  the  possibilities  of  a  piece  of  Dakota  land.  He 
bought  forty  acres.  That  was  enough,  and  he  soon  had  an  income  much 
larger  than  many  got  from  160  acres.  Besides  he  was  a  preacher  of  the 
evangel  of  beauty.  He  found  what  trees  and  shrubs  would  grow,  and 
his  place  is  an  up-to-date,  earthly  paradise. 

Yes,  this  story  has  a  foundation  in  fact — a  fact  which  can  adorn  the 


40  C.  $.  garrison's 

Dakota  home  with  loveliness,  and  make  the  farm  so  attractive  that  boys 
will  love  farming,  and  girls  will  feel  that  there  is  no  other  place  so  desir- 
able as  a  home  in  the  country,  and  people  from  the  crowded  cities,  see- 
ing how  lovely  the  farm  can  be  made,  will  gladly  leave  their  dingy  homes 
for  the  pure  air,  the  beautiful  scenery,  the  health,  comfort  and  joy  of 
the  model  country  home. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


Che  Best  Collections 

We  have  written  to  leading  growers  regarding  their  choice  for  the 
best  twenty-five.  Tastes  differ.  So  do  soil  and  climatic  conditions. 
Therefore  we  cannot  expect  uniformity. 


KELWAY'S  SELECTION,   ENGLAND. 

THE  BEST  Six  DOUBLES. — Lady  Alexandra  Duff,  Kelway's  Queen, 
Agnes  Mary  Kelway,  Maria  Kelway,  Moonbeam,  Joan  Seaton. 

THE  BEST  Six  SINGLES. — Viscount  Cross,  Duchess  of  Sutherland, 
Stanley,  Bridesmaid,  Lady  Lilian  Ogle,  Emily. 

THE  BEST  TWELVE  PAEONYS. — The  six  doubles  recommended,  and 
Lady  Bramwell,  Dr.  Bonavia,  Mrs  Stubbs,  Bridesmaid,  single;  Stanley, 
single;  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  single. 

THE  BEST  TWENTY-FIVE  PAEONYS. — The  above  twelve,  and  Viscount 
Cross,  single;  Lady  Lilian  Ogle,  single;  Glory  of  Somerset,  Duke  of 
Cambridge,  Lady  Beresford,  Duke  of  Clarence,  Sir  T.  J.  Lipton,  Limo- 
sel,  Prince  George,  Duke  of  Devonshire;  Dorothy  and  Hesperus,  singles; 
Lord  Rosebery. 

A* 

LIST  OF  C.   BETSCHER,   OHIO. 

White — Off.  Alba  Plena,  the  true  white,  a  pure  white;  Festiva 
Maxima,  Marie  Lemoine — Calots';  Alice  De  Julncourt  XX,  Diamond, 
Alba  Superba,  Mt.  Blanc,  Marie  Lemoine — Crousse'. 

Pinks — Off.  Rosea  Superba,  Floral  Treasure,  Jennie  Lind,  PEsper- 
ence,  B.  D.  Champs,  Grandiflora,  Model  of  Perfection,  Humei,  Dorches- 
ter, Mary  Hamilton. 

Off.  Rubra,  Tenuifolia  D.,  Rubra  Triumphans,  F.  Ortegal,  War- 
wick, Bacillus,  Grandiflora  Rubra,  Rubra  Superba,  M.  Mac  Mahon. 

A* 

LIST  OF    T.     C.     THURLOW,    MASSACHUSETTS. 

Artemise,  Agnes  Mary  Kelway,  Bridesmaid,  Plutarch,  Festiva  Max- 
ima, Brennus,  Jeanne  d'Arc,  Lady  Bramwell,  Baroness  Schroder,  Pearl, 
Eduard  Andre,  Perfection,  Madame  Chaumy,  Venus,  J.  Discaisne,  Henri 
Demay,  Rubra  Superba,  Louis  Van  Houtte,  Thurlow's  Double  Rose, 
Queen  Victoria,  Francois  Ortegal,  Lamartine,  Gloire  de  Chenonceaux, 
Grandiflora,  Princess  Beatrice,  Helena. 


ORIENTAL  POPPY 

A  Perennial,  with  roots  like  a  small  Parsnip.    Flowers  of  dazzling  flame 
like  color.    Often  Seven  inches  accross 


Pacony  manual  4I 

MY  OWN  LIST,    NEBRASKA 

(As  I  have  watched  them  for  several  years.) 

Baroness  Schroder,  Festiva  Maxima,  La  Tulipe,  Golden  Harvest, 
Sunbeam,  Grizzel  Muir,  Excelsior,  Terry's  Carnation,  Etta,  Crimson 
Queen,  Golden  Wedding,  Grover  Cleveland,  Duke  of  Dorchester,  Clara 
Barton,  Richardson's  Rubra,  Grandiflora,  Ville  d'  Nancey,  Red  Jacket, 
Floral  Treasure,  Grandiflora  Rosea,  Genuine  Humei,  Lady  Bramwell, 
Model  d'  Perfection,  Alexander  Dumas,  Victor. 

H.  A.  TERRY'S  LIST,  IOWA. 

Festiva  Maxima,  Grover  Cleveland,  Commodore  Dewey,  Crown 
Jewell,  Reine  des  Francais,  Louis  Van  Houtte,  Queen  Victoria,  Ella 
Adams,  General  Grant,  Clara  Barton,  Crimson  Queen,  Excelsior,  Belle 
Hough,  Esther,  Mrs.  Rudd,  Alice  Roosevelt,  Admiral  Schley,  Pottsii, 
Mrs.  Pleas,  Princeps,  Sada  Evans,  Edulis  Superba,  Myrtle,  Congress, 
Humeii. 

These  lists  show  some  difference  of  opinion,  and  also  the  fact  that 
the  growers  are  not  all  confined  to  the  same  varieties. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


J\  Cist  of  Some  of  the  Ceading  Sorts 

In  giving  this  list  we  have  aimed  to  give  some  out  of  the  2,000 
named,  so  the  reader  can  have  an  idea  of  the  marvelous  variety  in  this 
great  family.  The  fragrant  ones  have  not  all  been  marked  fragrant. 
We  have  not  always  given  the  names  of  the  originators.  Most  of  these 
we  have  tested  ourselves;  others  we  have  taken  from  leading  French, 
English  and  American  catalogues. 

It  may  not  be  satisfactory  to  the  connoiseur — probably  will  not. 
The  idea  of  this  Manual  is  to  introduce  this  flower  to  the  masses. 

I  confess  we  have  given  some  prominence  to  western  productions, 
because  their  merits  have  not  hitherto  been  brought  to  light.  Raising 
them  for  years,  side  by  side  with  imported  ones,  we  feel  they  should 
have  a  fuller  recognition.  All  honor  to  Father  Terry,  now  78  years  old, 
who,  in  a  quiet,  patient  way,  for  over  30  years,  has  been  hard  at  work, 
giving  us  the  best  results  of  his  persistence  and  skill,  from  which,  as  yet, 
he  has  reaped  but  little  benefit. 

Description  of  Owr  200  Choice  Kinds 

Admiral  Dewey.  Guard  petals  deep  rose,  with  center  of  pink  and 

cream. 

Alice.  Blush  rose,  changing  to  white,  center  with  straw  shading; 
fine  flower. 

Agnese  Mary  Kelway.    Guard  petals  of  light  rose,  yellow  petaloids, 


C.  $.  garrison's 


with  rose  tuft.     With  me  this  is  a  lovely  flower,  though  a  shy  bloomer. 

Alexander  Dumas.  Mixed  pink,  double  center,  very  double,  quite 
fragrant.  This  is  every  way  satisfactory,  scoring  the  five  points,  a  prod- 
igal bloomer,  extremely  vigorous  and  hardy. 

Alice  Crousse.      Shaded  pink,  quilled  center. 

rsene  Meuret.  Deep  pink,  mixed  with  yellow  stamens,  free 
bloomer:  often  many  on  a  stem. 

Alexandriana.  Light  pink,  solid  color,  silver  edges,  early  and 
very  fragrant. 

Augusta  Miellez.  Guard  petals  pink,  lemon  center,  early  and  fra- 
grant. 

Ambroise  Verschaffelt.     A  rose. 

Astrosanguinea.      Dark  red,  tingedwith  violet. 

Artemise.     Beautiful  rose,  of  many  tints. 

Albaflora  Plena.      (Edulis  Plena)  white. 

Anne  Askew.  Flesh  colored,  with  narrow  sulphur  thread-like  cen- 
tral petals. 

Baroness  Schroder.  In  England  this  is  called  flesh-colored;  in 
Massachusetts  it  is  sometimes  grayish  white;  in  Nebraska  it  is  the  purest, 
softest  white.  In  the  central  petals  there  is  the  faintest  lingering  of 
golden  tints.  It  is  as  sweet  as  the  rose,  and  in  form  and  grace  of  out- 
line surpasses  any  of  the  rose  family.  Withal,  it  is  so  fluffy,  sprite-like 
and  ethereal,  it  seems  as  if  it  might  float  away.  It  is  vigorous,  and  a 
ready  bloomer.  After  it  had  grown  two  years  I  cut  one  root  into  eight, 
and  six  of  these  bloomed  the  next  spring.  They  are  very  scarce,  and 
spurious  kinds  are  put  on  the  market.  This  exquisitely  beautiful  flower 
scores  the  five  points  easily. 

Beauty's  Queen.      Is  a  large  white;  outer  petals  blush  rose. 

unch  of  Perfume.  Full  double,  vivid  rose,  very  sweetly  scented. 
This  does  not  do  as  well  in  the  west,  probably,  as  in  England. 

Bioni.  Guard  petals  light  blush,  with  thread-like  petals;  not  as 
vigorous  as  we  could  wish,  though  a  lovely  flower. 

Bicolor.  Outer  petals  white,  with  rose  tinge;  cream  center,  fring- 
ed; crimson  blotch  on  center  petals. 

Beaute  Francaise.      Delicate   pink,  tipped  blush   white,  full  double. 

Belle  Hough.      Large  flower,  light  crimson,  late  and  fine. 
"Bertha.      Brilliant  crimson,  full  double  and  late;  a  very  satisfactory 
flower. 

— -Bell   of   Crescent.      Bright    rose,   free  bloomer,  large  double,   very 
showy. 
. Belle  of  York.      Large,   flesh-colored,  a  strong,   robust  flower,  new. 

Baron  James  de  Rothschild.      Semi-double  pink. 

Bridesmaid.      Fine,  semi-double,  fragrant,  white. 

Barrymoor.     One  of  Kelway's  latest,  cherry  red  and  very  handsome. 
—  Bayard.     Beautiful,  clear,  bright  violet. 

Blushing  Maid.  One  of  Rosenfeld's  latest,  fine  blush  and  sweetly 
perfumed;  not  yet  fully  tested. 

oronation.  A  very  large,  handsome  flower,  light  pink  at  the 
edges,  the  remainder  a  creamy  flesh  tint  of  a  very  delicate  shade.  The 
center  is  chalice  shaped,  with  golden  anthers  at  the  bottom  of  the  cup. 


Pacony  manual  43 

-  Carnation.  Bright  crimson  outside  petals,  broad  inside  finely  fringed, 
very  fine.  Grand,  late  bloomer.  Very  striking  in  appearance. 
^^--Clara  Barton.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest.  It  is  of  purest  white, 
like  the  spirit  of  its  namesake.  Its  petals  are  delicate  and  almost  trans- 
parent in  their  tissue-like  form,  not  quite  full  double,  but  exceedingly 
attractive. 

,.  Crimson  Queen.  Both  petals  and  petaloids  are  of  the  same  deep 
color.  It  is  finely  fringed,  but  the  whole  flower  is  of  that  solid,  intense 
coloring. 

__^-~~  Commodore  Dewey.  Is  deep,  dark  rose,  of  intense  color.  It  is  a 
large  and  attractive  flower,  one  of  our  finest  new  ones. 

Col.  Wilder.      Is  bright  rose,  very  double,  blooming  in  clusters. 

Charles  Verdier.  Lilac  carmine.  Transparent,  slate  color  reflec- 
tions. A  large  flower. 

Compte  de  Paris.  A  vigorous  and  imposing  plant.  Flower  on  strong 
stem.  Guard  petals  pink.  Yellow  center.  A  mingling  of  pink,  cream 
and  gold  with  a  dash  of  red. 

Charlemagne  Very  large  flowers,  double  flesh,  white  center,  tint- 
ed lilac  and  chamoise.  This  does  not  always  sustain  its  reputation,  be- 
ing apparently  sensitive  to  soil  and  climate. 

ornucopia.  Large  and  delicate,  shaded  pink,  with  a  few  golden 
stamens  mixed.  Sometimes  five  blooms  on  a  stock  at  once.  Tall  and 
free  bloomer. 

Compte  de  Nantuil.  Blush  white,  center  tinged  yellow.  Having 
tested  this  for  years  I  can  commend  it  for  beauty  of  bloom  and  vigor  of 
plant. 

Chrysanthemefolia.  Rosy  white  guards,  with  a  delicate  chrysanthe- 
mum folded  in  the  center. 

Comptesse  de  Montalivet.      Flesh,  fading  to  white.     Fragrant. 

ardinal  Richelieu.  Solid  red,  no  stamens,  large  guard,  very 
fragrant. 

Carnea  Elegans.  Large,  variegated  pink,  rather  light  color,  with 
rose  guard  petals.  A  strong  plant. 

Duke  of  Devonshire.  A  very  large  flower  of  striking  appearance, 
crimson  in  color,  with  satiny  finish.  One  of  Kelway's  best. 

—  Dean  Hole.     A  very  sweetly  scented  variety  of  a  very  bright  and 
clear  salmon  rose  color.      New. 

Due  de  Wellington.  Soft  white,  with  pale,  creamy  white  center. 
Very  lovely,  fine  form.  Plant  not  strong  and  vigorous. 

Delacheii.      Fine,  dark  crimsom. 

Drop  White.      Pure  white,  splashed  with  crimson,  fragrant  and  full 

double. 

Daubenton.      Purplish,  lilac  rose.     Silver  reflections,  tufted  center. 

Duchess  of  Orleans.      Pale  rose,  with  salmon  center. 

Defiance.      Brilliant  crimson,  tall  and  fine.      Single. 

Dr.  Lindley.      Large  flower,  tall  and  strong.      Dark  crimson. 

Ella  Adams.      Light  crimson.     Very  attractive. 

Etta.      Bright,  satiny,  light  rose.     Strong  grower,  late  bloomer. 

Euphemia.      Flesh,  colored  with  crimson  blotches. 


44  €.  $. 

—  Excelsior.      Dark  crimson,  large,  fine,  symmetrical  flower,  very  strik- 
ing in  appearance. 

, v  Esther.     Outside  petals  deep  rose,  inside  white,   rose  tinted,   a  full 

bloomer. 

Edulis  Superba.  One  of  the  standard  varieties.  Shell  pink,  large, 
well  formed,  fragrant  flower,  and  a  very  rapid  multiplier. 

Emperor  of  Russia      A  magnificent,  deep  crimson.    Very  handsome. 
Edulis  Plena,  or  Albiflora  Plena.      White. 
Eclatante.     Is  deep  rose. 

Fragrans.  There  are  three  that  bear  this  name,  one  named  by  Kel- 
way,  a  light  purple;  another  is  solid  pink,  with  rather  full  petaloids,  all 
the  same  color,  and  yet  another,  which  is  the  late  rose  Paeony,  nearly, 
if  not  quite,  identical  with  Andre  Laures. 

Francoise  Ortegal.  A  striking  French  crimson.  One  of  the  popu- 
lar old  sorts. 

Fulgida         Is  another  purplish  crimson. 

Formosa  Alba.  White,  with  cream  center.  Very  fragrant,  and  one 
of  our  fine  ones. 

Faust.  Is  rosy  white,  large  and  full  double.  An  exceedingly  at- 
tractive flower. 

Festiva  Maxima.  Is  the  queen  of  all.  Almost  without  exception  it  is 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  list.  It  has  every  point  of  excellence.  The 
plant  is  one  of  the  most  robust.  You  can  usually  tell  the  genuine  by  the 
shape  of  the  large  leaves.  This,  we  understand,  was  introduced  from 
Belgium  in  1835,  and  all  this  lime  it  has  been  propagated,  and  it  is  im- 
possible to  supply  the  demand.  The  Joliet  Paeony  farm,  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  world,  wholesales  them  atli.oo  each,  or  $60  per  100.  I 
am  informed  that  the  flowers  bring  $2.00  per  dozen,  wholesale,  in  Chi- 
cago. The  flower  combines  great  size  with  wondrous  beauty.  I  have 
raised  them  seven  inches  across,  a  glorious  form  of  purest  white,  flecked 
here  and  there  with  crimson,  which  seems  to  bring  out  the  white  in  clear- 
er relief.  This  flower  seems  to  have  reached  the  ultimate,  beyond  which 
we  cannot  go.  It  is  so  full  double  it  seldom,  if  ever,  produces  seed. 
Nature  all  along  the  line  seems  intent  on  reproduction,  but  in  a  case  like 
this  she  seems  to  say,  "I  can  go  no  further."  This  is  a  good  pattern  to 
work  by.  Feed  this  grand  flower.  Let  it  do  its  best.  And  the  re- 
splendent form  of  beauty  seems  to  say,  "Beat  this  if  you  can."  Men 
have  tried  for  seventy  years,  yet  we  will  keep  on  trying. 

Festiva.  Is  fragrant,  pure  white,  globular  in  form.  A  beautiful 
flower. 

Floral  Treasure.  This  is  one  of  Rosenfield's,  and  it  reveals  the  fact 
that  we  need  not  always  go  to  Europe  for  choice  ones.  It  was  first  put 
on  the  market  for  $12.00  per  100,  but  as  soon  as  people  found  out  its 
merits  it  shot  up  to  $50.00  per  100,  and  the  supply  was  short.  It  is  a 
splendid  hemisphere  of  fragrant  loveliness,  a  good  keeper,  and  has  a 
long,  strong  stem  to  uphold  the  splendid  bloom,  which  will  sometimes  be 
nearly  seven  inches  across. 

-Fairy  Queen.  Is  one  of  Terry's.  Outside  petals  broad,  inside 
fringed,  full  double,  large  flower,  regarded  by  Mr.  Terry  as  one  of  his 
best. 


Pacony  manual  45 

Felix  Crousse.  Enormous,  perfect  flower.  A  brilliant  and  dazzling 
red. 

Grandure.  A  very  fine,  large,  semi  double  lilac  rose,  fragrant.  We 
have  had  this  several  years.  It  has  peculiar  tints  and  shadings,  which 
add  materially  to  the  attractions  of  a  general  collection. 

Grizzel  Muir.  This  is  among  Kelway's  best.  Pure  white,  good 
form  and  very  fragrant.  We  are  well  pleased  with  it. 

Geraldine.  Described  as  lovely  flower.  Composed  of  one  shell- 
like  outer  row  of  petals  of  pretty  pink  surrounding  short,  yellow  central 
filaments,  the  pink  forming  a  charming  setting  for  the  creamy  yellow 
center.  Sweetly  perfumed. 

Glory  of  Somerset.  Soft  pink,  large  and  beautiful,  also  very 
fragrant. 

Grandiflora  Nivea  Plena.  Opens  flesh  colored,  fading  to  white.  A 
splendid  flower. 

—  Grandiflora.  There  are  several  wearing  this  name,  of  different  col- 
ors. The  most  striking  among  them  is  a  late,  immense,  full  double 
flower,  blush  in  color,  very  solid  and  compact,  with  a  stem  not  strong 
enough  to  hold  the  immense  weight  of  beauty.  These  should  be  planted 
in  a  mass  and  should  be  sheltered  with  a  screen  from  the  burning  sun. 
This  is  probably  one  of  Richardson's. 

Glori  de  Doual.      Deep  crimson,  semi-double. 

General  Jacqueminot.  Color  like  the  Jack  Rose.  Large  flower, 
fragrant  and  a  good  keeper. 

reneral  Grant.  One  of  Terry's  fine  ones.  An  immense  flower  of 
dazzling  red.  The  only  trouble  is  it  does  not  furnish  stem  strong  enough 
for  the  flower. 

General  Sherman.  Another  of  Terry's.  A  strong,  vigorous  grower, 
rose  color,  tinged  with  purple.  Late  bloomer. 

Grover  Cleveland  (Tecumseh).  This  is  another  of  Terry's.  It  is 
a  little  freaky.  One  year  it  was  described  as  follows:  "It  is  a  system 
of  deep  colored,  rich  flowers,  packed  and  pressed  together  into  a  shapely 
ball  of  dazzling  red,  the  solidest  of  all.  You  could  almost  stone  a  dog 
with  it.  It  is  one  of  the  best  keepers  we  have."  Cut  while  the  bud  is 
opening,  it  retains  its  beauty  a  long  time.  Sometimes  it  is  more  open  in 
form,  but  always  a  splendid  flower.  Another  season  it  will  open  with  a 
broader  bloom,  but  whatever  form  it  assumes,  it  is  fine. 

Grandiflora  Carnea  Plena.  This  is  one  of  our  best,  and  hard  to  de- 
scribe. It  has  pink  guard  petals,  with  a  mingling  of  many  tints  in  the 
center.  It  is  fragrant;  globular  and  compact  in  form.  It  gives  a  long 
succession  of  bloom,  and  the  flowers  are  fine  keepers.  The  early  ones 
grow  lighter  with  age,  and  new  ones  come  on,  clothed  in  their  showy 
tints,  so  that  a  single  row  gives  such  a  variety  of  shadings  that  one  might 
think  there  were  several  kinds  in  one  fine  blend  of  loveliness. 

Golden  Harvest.  Rosenfield's.  The  more  you  see  of  this  the  bet- 
ter you  like  it.  It  is  a  free  bloomer.  You  can  depend  on  flowers  the 
first  spring  after  planting,  even  in  six  weeks  after  spring  planting.  At 
that  stage  of  development  it  shows  a  center  of  pure  gold.  The  next  year 
it  shows  the  same,  only  more.  In  the  center  is  a  miniature,  snowy  white 
flower,  like  a  condensed  Festiva  Maxima,  with  dashes  of  carmine.  The 


46  C.  $.  fiarrison's 

next  year  the  whole  plant  seems  to  break  from  all  antecedents  and  give 
you  a  wild,  rollicking  prodigality  of  beauty,  in  blush  and  white,  in  cream 
and  gold.  The  flowers  are  large  and  almost  smother  the  plant,  so  great 
is  their  profusion.  The  bloom  may  not  keep  as  long  as  some  others, 
yet  it  will  score  all  the  points,  as  it  is  very  fragrant  withal.  This  and 
Floral  Treasure  are  Rosenfield's  advance  guard.  He  has  fifty  to  one 
hundred  more  in  the  procession,  and  we  can  take  off  our  hats  as  they 
pass  by  and  cheer  for  beauty  and  Nebraska. 

rolden  Wedding.  We  have  long  been  looking  for  a  pure  golden 
flower,  and  here  we  have  it.  It  is  fragrant,  semi-double,  with  extremely 
delicate  bloom,  and  a  very  attractive  flower.  It  is  a  very  vigorous  plant. 
Singles  and  semi-doubles  do  net  keep  as  long  as  full  doubles.  This  is 
the  only  drawback  to  this  lovely  flower. 

Giganthea.  Thus  described  by  Ward:  This  is  the  finest  early  pink 
Paeony  we  have  cut  for  flower  purposes.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  to 
bloom,  produces  an  enormous  flower,  six  inches  in  diameter,  on  a  long 
stem,  deliciously  fragrant,  and  fully  as  effective  for  decorative  purposes 
as  the  finest  chrysanthemum.  This  variety,  with  Festiva  Maxima  and 
Mont  Blanc,  bring  the  highest  prices  of  any  Paeony  flowers  in  the  New 
York  market. 

General  Cavignac.  Very  fragrant,  rose  pink,  of  solid  color,  com- 
pact head,  imbricated  with  a  deeper  shade,  like  a  carnation. 

reneral  Lawton  (Pleas).  Bright  rose  pink,  edged  with  white,  often 
triple  headed,  which  gives  it  a  massive  appearance.  It  is  very  robust, 
flowers  large  and  slightly  fragrant.  Mostly  held  by  W.  A.  Peterson,  Rose 
Hill,  111.,  who  secured  the  stock  from  the  originator. 

Globosa  Grandiflora.    Large,  globe-shaped,  white  and  very  fragrant. 

Grandiflora  Rosea.  Is  a  host  in  itself.  The  outer  and  center  pet- 
als are  red.  It  is  slightly  fragrant.  It  is  a  very  prolific  bloomer,  robust 
and  vigorous.  The  flowers  turn  lighter  in  a  few  days,  and  remain  on  the 
stem  a  long  time.  Looking  at  the  bed  you  would  say  there  were  several 
kinds.  In  this  respect  it  is  much  like  the  "Seven  Sisters"  among  the 
roses. 

Grandiflora  Alba.  There  are  several  kinds  that  bear  this  name,  but 
the  best  is  a  strong,  vigorous  plant,  with  a  good  stem,  and  a  large,  fra- 
grant flower.  Pink  guard  petals,  sulphur  center,  splashed  often  with 
crimson,  the  whole  changing  to  snowy  white  in  a  short  time.  It  is  a 
good  keeper  and  a  prolific  bloomer.  These  have  been  sold  by  the  thous- 
and, innocently  too,  by  some  of  the  best  firms,  for  Festiva  Maxima,  which 
in  full  bloom  they  closely  resemble. 

Humea  Alba.  A  very  fine  and  rare  variety.  It  has  the  beautiful 
blush  of  the  morning.  The  guard  petals  are  light  pink.  The  center 
has  a  thread  like  collar  of  light  flesh  petals.  It  has  a  delicious  fragrance. 
There  are  two  Paeonys  which  bear  this  name. 

Humei  Carnea.  There  has  been  an  infinite  amount  of  confusion 
regarding  this  Paeony.  At  least  six  kinds  have  been  sent  out  under  this 
name.  Many  of  our  leading  growers  are  at  fault,  and  some  writers  also. 
Andre  Laures  has  been  sent  out  for  it,  and  other  varieties  entirely  at  va- 
riance, and  a  recent  work  on  Bulbs  is  entirely  at  fault.  Yet  it  is  one  of 
the  most  distinct  types  of  all.  It  has  a  foliage  peculiar  to  itself.  The 


Pacony  manual  47 

color  is  a  rose  pink.  The  petals  look  as  if  the  color  was  varnished  into 
them.  It  is  a  large,  compact,  solid,  glorious  flower,  of  symmetrical  form 
and  cinnamon  scented.  It  ranks  among  the  best,  and  scores  the  full  five 
points.  This  is  often  confounded  with  the  large  M.  Valliant.  It  should 
probably  be  called  Thorbeckii. 

_- Halseus.      Is  a  French  white.      It  first  opens  with  a  pinkish  flush, 

gradually  growing  lighter. 
, Hesperides.      Is  white,  with  flesh  guard  petals. 

Henri  Demay.  Is  a  striking  and  beautiful  flower.  Light  crimson, 
fine  form  and  symmetrical. 

Hercules  (Terry's).      Is  tall,  light  rose,  tipped  white. 

Herman  (Terry's).  Is  a  tall,  strong  grower.  Petals  broad.  Pale, 
purplish  rose,  inside  straw-tinted. 

Irma.  Soft  rose,  flesh  tinted.  I  secured  this  from  France,  and  am 
well  pleased  with  it. 

Illion.      Has  white  guard  petals,  and  also  narrow  white  center  ones. 

Insignis.  Described  in  French  catalogue  as  a  grand  flower,  of  bril- 
liant carmine. 

Jeanne  d'Arc.  Had  a  slight  mention  in  former  bulletin.  We  now 
hasten  to  do  her  justice.  Some  plants  do  best  when  the  stools  have  had 
three  or  four  years  in  which  to  become  established.  Then  they  burst 
forth  in  a  very  splendor  of  loveliness.  Thus  did  our  Jeanne.  The  flow- 
er opens  light  pink,  but  gradually  grows  white  as  the  soul  of  the  war 
maiden.  The  center  of  the  flower  rises  like  a  crown,  and  the  pure  white- 
ness seems  sprinkled  with  drops  of  blood,  symbolic  of  the  cruel  death 
she  suffered.  It  was  a  delight  to  visit  those  fragrant  and  lovely  flowers 
and  linger  over  them  and  drink  in  their  sweetness. 

Jennie  Lind.      Has  suddenly  sprung   into    prominence    and    value. 
Clear,  rose  pink,  long  stem,  fragrant  and  good  keeper. 
-    Jugurtha.      Is  a  dwarf,  bright  pink. 

James  Kelway.     Very  fine,  white,  beautifully  scented. 
~-\Toan  Seatoh.     Double,  bright,  cherry,  rose,  each  petal  edged  with 
lighter  color.     A  rose-shaped  flower,  showing  anthers  among  the  petals. 

Juno.      Is  fiery,  flashing  crimson. 

Jupiter.      Is  large,  full  double  crimson,  tipped  light. 

Kelway's  Queen.  Light  pink,  a  most  delicate  and  lovely  sort. 
Very  fragrant. 

^ — -  Kitty  Green.      Rosy  lavander,  large  flower.     Fragrant. 
^^-— La  Reine.     Terry's.      Delicate    blush,    changing    to    snowy    white. 
Center  light  yellow,   sometimes  touched    with  crimson.       We  are   well 
pleased  with  this  fine,  fragrant  flower. 

> — x  Lucretia.      Light  blush,  good  size,  shapely,   with  a  sort  of  twilight 
lingering  in  its  petals. 

Lady  Curzon.  We  are  favorably  impressed  with  this  flower.  White 
guard  petals,  with  cream  colored  inner  petals,  a  faint  blush  permeating 
the  whole  flower  at  first.  It  is  of  good  size,  and  delicately  perfumed. 
Every  way  worthy  of  the  lady  whose  name  it  bears. 

Lady  Alexander  Duff.  This  flower  has  been  spoken  of  as  the  very 
queen  of  the  whole  family.  It  is  described  by  Kelway  as  lovely  French 


48  C.  S.  garrison's 

white,  one  of  the  largest  and  grandest  in  existence,  tall,  robust  and  high- 
ly perfumed.  What  more  could  we  ask  for?  They  cost  $5.00  a  root. 
What  of  it?  We  must  have  them.  I  had  been  informed  by  eastern  grow- 
ers that  the  firm  was  getting  a  little  careless  of  late  and  was  sending 
out  mixed  lots,  so  when  I  sent  for  some  I  included  two  of  these  famous 
plants,  specifying  if  they  had  not  the  genuine  article,  that  they  return 
the  money.  They  sent  the  roots  labeled  all  right.  I  planted  them  with 
the  greatest  care,  and  fairly  hovered  over  them.  Never  were  plants 
more  royally  treated.  I  told  my  friends,  "Now,  we  will  see  some- 
thing worth  while."  Well,  they  opened.  The  stems  were  about  a  foot 
high,  and  the  flowers  were  little,  single,  ten  cent  affairs.  I  found  myself 
rapidly  filling  up  with  remarks,  and  the  men  to  whom  the  remarks  be- 
longed were  safely  hidden  behind  the  Atlantic  ocean.  I  then  addressed 
a  few  withering  words  to  the  insignificant  little  things  that  were  posing 
like  stupid  donkeys  in  the  place  of  prancing,  high- stepping,  thorough- 
bred steeds.  Whether  it  was  what  I  said,  or  because  it  was  their  nature, 
in  two  days  they  dropped  their  petals  and  went  out  of  the  business,  and 
Lady  Alexander  Duff  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea. 

Lady  Bramwell  is  silvery  rose.  A  most  charming  flower,  perfect  in 
form,  compact,  symmetrical  and  exceedingly  fragrant.  It  is  one  of  our 
fine  ones.  It  wears  well  on  a  long  acquaintance.  There  are  hardly 
enough  to  keep  up  with  the  demand. 

Lady  Beresford.  Described  as  a  large-flowered  variety  of  soft  blush 
shade,  delicate  and  beautiful.  The  petals  are  tipped  in  carmine.  I  sent 
for  two  of  these.  One  was  an  inferior,  little,  single  one,  and  the  other 
a  small  pink. 

Lyde.      Is  rose  color,   with  pink  center. 

La  Coquette.  Is  on  the  diamond  list  of  Paillet,  of  France.  Cen- 
ter and  guard  petals  pink,  balance  salmon.  A  fine,  large  flower  and  a 
good  keeper. 

La  Tulipe.  I  know  of  no  flower  so  attractive  in  the  bud  as  this. 
First  a  ball  interlaced  with  green,  red  and  light.  As  it  grows,  these  in- 
terlacings  are  more  pronounced.  There  is  no  bloom  whose  unfoldings 
you  watch  with  greater  interest.  Men,  women  and  children  gather 
around  it  in  delight.  Finally  it  opens,  a  solid  ball  of  softest  blush,  with 
streaks  of  carmine.  There  it  sits  in  all  its  beauty,  a  glorious  flower  in  a 
chalice  of  veined  marble,  emitting  a  delightful  perfume.  Gradually  it 
fades  to  purest  white,  looking  much  like  Festiva  Maxima.  It  is  a  splen- 
did keeper  and  scores  the  five  points  to  perfection. 

L'Esperence.  Said  to  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  identical  with  Duch- 
ess de  Nemours.  This  is  an  excellent  variety.  In  the  first  place  it  is  a 
pink  rose  in  form  and  fragrance.  It  is  especially  valuable  in  the  north- 
ern states,  as  it  is  a  strong,  hardy  and  robust  plant,  and  often  is  on  time 
for  Decoration  Day.  It  is  a  good  keeper.  It  is  on  the  diamond  list  of 
the  leading  French  dealer.  It  scores  the  five  points. 

Limosel.     Very  bright,  clear  lilac  rose.     A  large  flower,  full  double, 

with  broad  guard  petals  and  narrower  ones  in  the  center.    Very  fragrant. 

Having  had  these  for  several  years  they  stand  up  well  to  the  description. 

~  Lottie.     Terry's.     Large  flower.    Bright  rose,  full  double,  and  a  late 

bloomer. 


eTHODERN  PAEONYS 
By  Courtesy  of  Jas.  Kelway  CSk  Sons 


Pacony  manual 


49 


Mars.  Terry's.  Is  a  fine,  purplish  crimson,  fiery  and  imposing  in 
appearance. 

Maud  S.      Is  a  fine,  light  crimson  flower. 

Morning  Star.  Is  one  of  the  most  dainty  of  the  whole  family. 
Though  exceedingly  delicate,  yet  the  plant  is  hardy.  It  is  well  named. 
Starry  rays  radiate  from  its  heart  of  gold. 

Mrs.  Fletcher.  Terry's.  Is  an  attractive  flower  of  deep,  dark  rose 
color.  We  have  found  it  very  fine. 

-    Mrs.  Rudd.      Outside  petals  broad  and  white,   inside  straw  color, 
petals  finely  fringed. 

Nigra.      Is  one  of  the  darkest  crimson,  full  double. 

Marie  Crousse  Very  large,  full,  globular  bloom;  soft  salmon  pink, 
shaded  with  glossy  lilac,  very  fresh  color. 

Marie  Stuart.  Beautiful  anemone-shaped  flower,  with  collar  of 
bright,  clear,  pink  petals;  center  sulphur  white. 

Madam  Chaumy.  Is  a  large,  symmetrical,  solid  pink  flower,  fra- 
grant and  very  charming.  In  form  and  color  much  like  Lady  Bramwell, 
only  it  is  much  later  and  larger. 

Mme.  Camille  Bancel.  Described  by  Ward:  Very  fiull,  enormous, 
globular  flower,  color  lively  blush  lilac  pink,  with  center  shaded  with 
salmon. 

Madam  Geissler.  Is  light  purplish  rose,  solid  color,  massive  and 
very  fragrant.  One  of  Mr.  Peterson's  favorites. 

Marguerite  Gerard  Described  by  Ward:  Immense  flower,  with 
very  large,  well  formed  petals;  color  clear  flesh,  fading  to  tender,  creamy 
white.  Center  creamy  white,  with  petals  occasionally  spotted  and  tipped 
with  carmine.  Ward  &  Shaylor  place  this  high  on  the  list.  It  is  one  of 
the  more  recent  French  productions. 

Modeste  Guerin.  Large,  anemone-shaped  flower;  color  uniform, 
bright  carmine.  Very  attractive,  standing  well  up  on  the  list. 

Mons.  Jules  Elie.  Described  by  Ward:  Very  large,  full,  globular 
flower,  with  broad,  imbricated  petalage.  Color  glossy  pink,  deepening 
at  the  base  of  the  petals;  reflex  silvery  pink;  flower  of  nice  form,  and 
quite  fragrant. 

Mons.  Paillet.  Probably  named  from  the  noted  French  florist.  It 
is  a  very  large  flower,  light  pink,  shading  to  white,  with  pond  lily  fra- 
grance. 

Madam  Muyssart.  Fine,  shaded  pink  rose,  solid  color;  large,  late 
and  very  fragrant. 

Model  de  Perfection.  Described  by  Peterson:  Far  superior  to  the 
sort  generally  sold  under  this  name.  A  solid,  clear  pink,  with  crimpled 
center,  set  on  large  guard  petals,  forming  immense  globular  buds  and 
flowers  on  strong  stems.  Years  ago  we  secured  some  of  these  from  Mr. 
Peterson.  They  are  eminently  satisfactory.  Hardy,  full  bloomers,  fra- 
grant and  good  keepers. 

Marie  Lemoine.  The  Lemoines  are  noted  florists,  but  their  names 
are  a  little  too  numerous.  We  have  several  among  the  Lilacs,  also  among 
the  Philadelphus,  and  here  the  name  is  stretched  to  cover  two  entirely 
distinct  varieties.  One  fathered  by  Calot  is  lovely,  ivory  white,  an  early 
bloomer,  emitting  a  delicious  fragrance,  with  a  root  tangled  and  twisted, 
and  hard  to  separate.  The  other,  fostered  by  Crousse,  has  a  large,  full 


50  C.  $.  garrison's 

double  bloom;  color  sulphur  white;  center  petals  lightly  edged  with  pink. 
Very  late  and  one  of  the  very  best. 

Mrs.  Frederic  Davidson.  Guard  petals  faint  apple  blossom  tint, 
rest  of  the  flower  creamy  white.  One  of  Kelway's  latest. 

-Mrs.  Gwyn  Lewis.  Is  another,  described  as  a  lovely,  dwarf-growing, 
white  flower,  highly  fragrant  and  of  great  merit. 

Maria  Kelway.  Very  fine,  blush  guard  petals,  yellow  petaloids, 
with  blush  tuft,  sweetly  scented. 

Madam  Breon.  There  are  two  flowers  bearing  this  name.  One, 
outer  petals  rosy  pink;  pale  yellow  center,  changing  to  white;  and  the 
other  is  fine,  shapely,  solid  crimson.  This  latter  was  sent  out  by  T.  C. 
Thurlow. 

Magnifica.  Described  by  Kelway  as  delicate  pink,  turning  to  blush 
white:  large,  full  and  free.  That  usually  sent  under  this  name  is  nearer 
red,  turning  to  pink. 

-Magnificent.  Is  a  medium  sized  flower  and  fragrant.  It  is  rf  the 
pink,  cream  and  gold  order,  with  drops  of  carmine.  Much  like  Triumph 
de  Paris,  only  smaller. 

Madonna.      Outer  petals  rose,  center  creamy  chamois. 
-Moonbeam.     Is  one  of  Kelway's  newer  ones.      Large,  white,  tufted 
in  the  center. 

Maud  Wild.      Rosy  pink,  showing  golden  stamens. 

Monsieur  Deschamps.      Is  light  purple. 

-Mme.  Schmidt.  One  of  Paillet's;  is  rosy,  lightly  tinted  white, 
large  flower;  does  well  in  Nebraska. 

Marie.      Is  white,  in  light  rose  tints. 

Maxima.      Is  white,  with  short  petals. 

Nymph.  New.  It  opens  a  single  flower,  with  white  petals.  It  has 
a  pond  lily  fragrance.  In  the  center  are  incurved  snow-white  petals  and 
these  are  dotted  with  crimson,  making  it  a  most  attractive  flower.  Later, 
the  inner  petals  expand,  forming  another  perfect  flower  sitting  in  the 
lap  of  the  first,  separated  by  several  rows  of  stamens.  It  continues  in 
bloom  a  long  time,  and  it  is  a  delight  to  watch  its  varying  forms  of  love- 
liness. 

Noblissima.      Is  a  fine  flower  of  rosy  lilac;  very  attractive. 

Ne  Plus  Ultra.      Is  a   fine  flower,  peach-color,  edged  with  white. 

Nivalis.      Is  pure  white. 

Princess  Ellen.  Opens  delicate  flesh,  changing  to  white ;  large 
lower  and  a  good  keeper;  very  desirable. 

Princess  of  Wales.  Terry's.  Large,  white,  mottled  with  rose;  a  fine 
flower. 

Prince  of  Wales.  Terry's.  Purple,  edged  silver,  large,  full  double, 
often  in  clusters. 

Prince  of  Wales  Kelway's.  Soft  lilac  rose;  large  flower,  rather 
shy  bloomer. 

Princess  Beatrice.  Pink  guard  petals,  inner  petals  yellow  and  pink; 
a  fine  variety  and  free  bloomer. 

Peter  the  Great.  Is  deep,  rosy  purple.  Sunburns  badly  in  Ne- 
braska; needs  shelter. 


Pacony  manual  Si 

Plutarch.      A  satin  crimson,  exceedingly  brilliant  and  striking,   with 

pond  liiy  fragrance;   a  very  choice  flower. 

Pulcherima.      Light,  satiny  rose,  center  blush  white. 

Pulcherima  Odorata.  Shaded  pink,  with  yellow  center  and  fra- 
grant; very  fine. 

Pottsii.  Purple  crimson,  with  thread-like  petals;  a  very  conspicu- 
ous flower  and  in  great  demand. 

Queen  Victoria.  Formerly  Whitleyi,  or  the  two  are  nearly  alike. 
Described  by  Peterson  as  a  full,  strong,  white  flower,  with  yellowish- 
tinted  center;  a  very  popular  variety  among  florists  on  account  of  good 
shipping  and  keeping  qualities. 

~~-  Red  Jacket.  As  several  deep  crimson,  new  Paeonys  have  come 
into  the  writer's  possession,  he  has  named  them  after  Indian  chiefs.  One 
is  King  Philip,  a  tall,  robust  plant;  one  is  Red  Cloud;  one  named  Sha- 
bona;  an  extremely  fine  one  is  Pocahontas,  and  a  dainty  little  single  is 
called  Pappoose.  Red  Jacket  is  a  finely  formed  flower,  deep  rich  color 
and  very  fragrant,  which  is  a  little  unusual  in  deep  crimson.  I  think  it 
much  surpasses,  both  in  form  and  fragrance,  the  new  Bunch  of  Perfume. 
The  only  drawback  is,  it  may  be  a  tardy  bearer. 

Sunbeam.  New.  Fragrant;  radiant  silver;  ethereally  beautiful; 
very  striking. 

Sainfoin.  Kelway.  Described  as  the  most  striking  of  all.  The 
flowers  full,  large  and  brilliant  self  rose. 

Snowy  Coles.  Blush  white,  with  narrow,  thread-like  petals;  very 
sweet. 

Souvenir  de  la  Exposition.  Blush  outside  petals,  with  white,  nar- 
row central  petals.  A  fine,  large,  imposing  blossom. 

Splendida.      Light  lilac,  edged  white 

Sada  Evans.  Terry's.  Outside  petals  broad,  delicate  rose,  inside 
fringed  and  straw-colored,  the  whole  melting  into  a  beautiful  white. 

Stephania.  Considered  by  Terry  as  one  of  his  finest.  Pale  rose, 
nearly  white;  center  pure  white  with  crimson  stripes. 

The  Bride.      Is  a  charming  white  flower. 

Thomas  Meehan.  Terry's  Light  rose,  silver  tipped;  large  double 
flower,  worthy  of  the  noble  man  whose  name  it  bears. 

The  Amazon.  New.  If  you  wish  size  and  show  and  a  good  deal 
of  it,  this  is  the  flower.  There  is  nothing  refined  or  delicate  about  it. 
It  is  exceedingly  prolific  and  robust,  and  bears  an  enormous  burden  of 
great,  rose  colored  flowers.  It  is  full,  free,  hearty  and  generous,  and  a 
good  one  for  beginners. 

Victor.  Terry's  Deep  red;  a  fine,  fragrant,  solid  flower,  and  a  good 
keeper.  Very  desirable. 

Virgo  Maria.      Pure,  snowy  white. 

Victoria  Tricolor.  Is  one  of  the  most  vigorous  and  prolific  bloom- 
ers we  have.  The  first  year  it  will  put  out  small  blooms,  according  to 
the  material  it  has.  The  next  year  they  will  be  larger,  and  the  third 
year  the  plant  will  be  fairly  deluged  with  bloom.  It  is  also  fragrant. 
Though  the  flower  cannot  rank  among  the  finest,  yet  it  is  very  desirable. 

Victoria  Modesta.  Is  a  very  fragrant  flower,  borne  on  a  long,  strong 
stem;  outer  petals  pink,  inner  ones  white. 

Reine  Victoria.      Is  a  fragrant  pink.     These  three  Victorias,   while 


C.  s.  Garrison's 


not  ranking  among  the  very  best,  yet  on  account  of  their  fragrance  and 
vigor,  should  not  be  omitted. 

Zenobia.     Terry's.      Is  rosy  crimson,  full  double.     A  fine  flower. 

Zoe  Callot.  Is  a  Grandiflora  Rosea,  on  a  smaller  scale.  Outside 
and  inner  petals  solid  pale  pink. 

SINGLE  PAEONYS. 

These  are  very  beautiful  in  the  bed,  but  not  so  desirable  as  cut  flow- 
ers. They  are  not  as  long-lived,  and  have  a  tendency  to  fold  their  petals 
at  night,  yet  some  of  them  are  of  marvelous  beauty.  They  are  not  as 
popular  in  the  west  as  in  the  east.  I  name  a  few  of  the  leading  ones  from 
Kelway's  list. 

Bridesmaid.      Single,  white. 
-  -Captain  Holford.      Clear  rose. 
'Countess  Cadogan.      Lovely  flesh  color. 

Countess  of  Warwick.      Delicate,  soft  flesh. 

Doris.      Bright  rose. 

Duchess  of  Sutherland.      Large,  flesh  pink;  a  lovely  flower. 

Earl  of  Morley.    Light  purple. 

Earl  of  Powis.      Cherry  rose. 

Earl  of  Onslow.     A  good  purple. 

Flag  of  Truce.      Pure  white. 

Flag  of  War.      Deep,  blood-crimson. 

Ideality.      Deep  rose;  grand. 

Kimberly.     A  very  pretty,  rosy  pink. 

Lady  Helen  Vincent.      White;  tinged  flesh;  very  beautiful. 
,  Ladyjeune.     Blush  white;  very  delicate. 
.-Lord  Annaly.      Deep  crimson;  a  fine,  rich  shade. 

Meteor.      Bright,  dazzling  crimson. 

Modesty.      Delicate  blush  pink. 

Mrs.  F.  J.  Clark.     A  beautiful  white. 

Mrs.  Richmond.     A  fine  rose  color;  grand. 

Mrs.  Vernon  Harcourt.      Beautiful  flesh  color. 

Millais.      Maroon.     First-class  certificate,  R.  B.  S. 

Purity.     A  kind  of  purest  whiteness. 

Sir  Angus  Holden.      Cherry  color. 

Sir  Comer  Petheram.     Fine  crimson. 

Sir  Edward  Lawson.      Pure  rose. 

-Sir  Robert  Gresly.      Rich  maroon. 

Stanley.  A  gorgeous  variety  of  the  richest  and  deepest  rnaroon- 
crimson,  with  pure  gold  color  stamens.  First-class  certificate,  R.  B.  S., 
and  Award  of  Merit,  R.  H.  S. 

Scotia.      Deep  rose.     Very  lovely. 

Snowflake.      Of  snowy  whiteness. 

-Victoria.      Bright  rose. 


Defiance.     Terry.      Brilliant  crimson;  tall  and  fine. 

Full  Moon.  New.  This  is  one  of  the  most  striking,  immense  crim- 
son, with  strong  outer  petals  and  a  full  moon  of  golden  stamens.  A  hearty, 
open-faced  flower. 

Terry.      Is  a  sort  of  lilac  rose,   very  rich  color. 


Pacony  manual  53 

— >St.  Sophia.      Terry's.      Is  deep  rose,  and  has  the  longest  succession 
of  bloom  of  any  of  the  single  family. 

"»  Wild  Rose.      Pleas.      Is  a  fine,   open-faced  crimson  flower,   with  a 
large,  golden  cushion. 

May  Davidson.      Is  a  large  pink,  striped  with  silver. 
The  Queen.      Terry's     Large  white,  with  cushion  of  pure  gold. 
We  have  several  others  on  the  way,  whose  merits  are  not  fully  estab- 
lished. 

THE  JAPANESE  PAEONYS. 

These  are  a  distinct  family  by  themselves,  single  and  semi-double, 
with  very  pronounced  golden  centers.  They  are  prodigal  bloomers,  of- 
ten covered  with  a  profusion  of  beauty.  They  are  very  hardy.  Some 
of  us  are  endeavoring  to  raise  a  new  race  from  seed,  and  here  there  is  a 
vast  field.  The  nomenclature  of  this  whole  family  is  in  a  chaotic  state, 
and  the  Paeony  Society  is  hard  at  work  naming  and  classifying  them.  I 
have  in  all  some  thirty  kinds.  I  append  Henry  Dreers"  list: 

Apollo.      Deep  pink,  shading  lighter  toward  the  edges. 

Diana.      Blush,  with  creamy  white  center. 

Exquisite.      White,  with  yellow  stamens. 

Fabiola.      Delicate  blush. 

Neptune.     A  fine  shell  pink. 

Ophir.      Dark  carmine. 

Saturn.      Rosy  pink,  with  yellow  stamens. 

Souvenir.      Flesh  pink;  creamy  white  center. 

Titian.      Soft,  delicate  pink. 

Vesta.      Purplish  red. 

Topaz.      Deep  rose,  shading  lighter  at  the  margin. 
—  Undine.      Bright  pink,  with  darker  shading. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Perennial  flowers 

The  great  west,  at  least,  lies  at  the  busy  end  of  the  world.  When 
spring  comes  there  is  so  much  to  be  done  we  cannot  stop  to  plant  annu- 
als. We  want  something  that  will  stay  planted.  The  time  is  not  far  off 
when  farmers  will  pay  much  more  attention  to  home  adornment.  Already 
country  girls  send  to  cities  for  flowers  on  festive  occasions,  as  do  their 
town  cousins. 

The  other  day  a  farmer  asked  a  nursery  agent  what  he  had  that 
would  do  for  cut  flowers.  "We  must  raise  our  own,"  he  said.  "The 
girls  send  away  to  the  florist's,  and  it  costs,  and  we  have  to  stop  a  team 
and  go  to  town  for  them.  We  must  raise  our  own."  And  he  was  ready 
to  give  a  good  order  for  Paeonys,  Lilies,  Gaillardias,  Phloxes  and  choice 
white  Dahlias.  The  man  was  right.  His  family  needed  flowers  as  well 
as  others.  There  was  no  reason  why  they  should  not  have  them,  and  it 


54  €.  $.  garrison's 

was  much  cheaper  to  grow  than  to  buy  them. 

After  years  of  testing,  we  have  now  many  hardy  things.  Tulips, 
Pansies  ana  Columbines  come  "early.  Gaillardias  are  a  numerous  fam- 
ily, and  they  work  hard  all  summer.  Phloxes  bloom  from  June  until 
November,  and  Lilies  come  along  in  the  procession  of  beauty.,  What  a 
wonderful  family!  All  of  them  are  easily  cared  for,  and  most  of  them 
do  better  with  some  mulching  in  winter. 

The  sweet  little  Tenuifolia  Lily,  from  Siberia,  is  hardy  up  there,  be- 
cause it  grows  in  the  woods  and  is  covered  with  deep  snow  all  winter. 
It  is  tender  in  Illinois  and  Nebraska,  because  it  lacks  that  snow  mantle. 
So  with  many  things.  Give  them  a  good  mulching  after  the  ground 
freezes,  and  you  will  succeed. 

Many  annuals  come  to  their  blooming  in  the  middle  or  last  of  sum- 
mer. They  are  not  as  well  rooted  as  the  perennials,  and  cannot  as  well 
endure  the  hot  suns  and  winds  as  those  deeper  rooted.  Again,  most 
flower  seeds  are  small,  and  it  is  very  hard  to  make  them  germinate,  for 
the  ground  will  dry  out  before  they  can  come  up,  and  if  this  happens  as 
they  are  sprouting  there  is  a  dead  loss  all  around. 

Most  flowers  of  this  class  multiply  by  strong  clumps,  growing  larger 
each  year,  and  occasionally  these  can  be  divided  and  replanted,  so  that 
from  small  beginnings  one  can  soon  have  an  abundance  at  little  expense. 


Columbines 

It  is  strange  that  such  attractive  and  hardy  flowers,  so  radiantly 
beautiful,  should  receive  so  little  attention.  They  are  easily  grown,  re- 
quire but  little  attention,  and  repay  all  care  and  labor  needed  a  hundred 
fold.  Light  itself  has  been  dissolved,  and  all  its  prismatic  rays  have 
been  woven  into  their  bloom.  I  think  one  trouble  has  been  they  have 
not  been  planted  on  a  scale  large  enough  and  in  generous  masses,  so 
that  their  charms  could  be  seen  to  advantage.  People  persist  in  getting 
a  lonely  flower  and  giving  it  the  task  of  enlivening  dreary  surroundings. 
And  the  poor  thing  cannot  show  to  advantage.  Then  no  single  one, 
beautiful  as  it  may  be,  can  represent  them  all. 

Before  my  window  as  I  write  there  is  a  large  bed  of  them.  Does 
one  realize  what  a  great  family  they  are,  over  fifty  native  species?  I 
have  at  least  as  many  sorts.  No  flowers  hybridize  more  readily.  You 
secure  seeds  from  a  large  variety,  and  then  sow  seeds  from  these,  and 
you  have  a  marvelous  permutation  of  beauty.  No  two  flowers  of  this 
second  crop  will  be  entirely  alike.  The  bumble  bees  especially  delight 
in  their  nectar.  They  seem  almost  intoxicated  as  they  revel  in  it.  Of 
course  they  carry  the  pollen  from  one  flower  to  another,  and  the  result  is 
something  new.  There  is  an  intense  fascination  in  watching  the  various 
changes  wrought,  and  to  see  the  bewitching  loveliness  of  some  of  the 
new  arrivals.  If  one  could  sort  out  some  of  these  and  name  and  de- 
scribe them,  he  could  give  some  rare  treasures  to  the  floral  world.  By 
this  process  you  would  have  the  pleasure  of  forming  new  acquaintances 
whom  no  one  else  has  yet  met. 

Let  us  take  a  look  at  some  of  these  before  us.  That  tall  one,  so 
striking  in  appearance,  is  the  Chrysantha,  the  golden.  The  color  is  yel- 


Pacony  manual  55 

low,  and  not  only  that,  there  is  a  good  deal  of  it.  It  is  intense  as  though 
the  flower  had  secured  all  it  could  and  had  packed  and  pressed  it  to- 
gether in  the  most  lovely  form  imaginable.  What  long  and  delicate 
spurs  it  has!  We  saw  it  growing  wild  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 
There  it  was  small  and  comparatively  insignificant.  But  translated  to  our 
rich  prairie  soil,  with  good  cultivation,  it  gives  grateful  response  to  our 
kindly  attention.  A  flower  does  not  blush  as  well  unseen,  while  it  "wastes 
its  fragrance  on  the  desert  air,"  as  when  there  are  admirers  to  appreciate 
its  beauty.  Many  a  flower,  comparatively  unattractive  in  its  wild  state, 
will  bloom  in  a  prodigality  of  loveliness  under  the  influence  of  cultiva- 
tion and  where  it  can  be  seen  and  enjoyed.  The  Picea  Pungens,  the 
king  of  beauty  among  the  conifers,  nowhere  in  all  the  mountains  does 
as  well  as  when  transplanted  in  the  rich  soil  of  the  prairie,  or  the  eastern 
states,  and  receives  the  attention  it  deserves  Then  the  needles  are 
longer  and  the  sheen  is  far  brighter  and  more  radiant  than  in  its  own 
habitat. 

Here  is  ano'her  of  attractive  appearance,  with  long  and  delicate 
spurs.  The  petals  are  snowy  white  and  intense  blue  It  seems  a  photo- 
graph of  the  sapphire  of  the  sky  and  the  fleecy  clouds.  This  is  the  Coe- 
relia  of  the  Rockies,  and  the  state  flower  of  Colorado.  We  often  see 
these  in  masses  at  an  altitude  of  eight  or  nine  hundred  feet.  In  many 
places  they  grow  to  great  size,  as  some  localities  seem  better  adapted  to 
their  development  than  others.  When  taken  down  to  the  plains  they 
need  some  shelter  from  the  burning  sun  and  hot  winds.  This  variety 
readily  hybridizes  with  others,  and  its  motherhood  is  seen  in  many  types 
in  recent  years.  So  readily  does  it  cross  that  though  the  original  plants 
will  be  all  right,  yet  the  progeny  varies  so  readily  and  to  such  an  extent 
that  pure  seed  must  be  secured  from  the  mountains  if  you  would  be  sure. 
I  keep  a  remote  nook  in  the  further  corner  of  the  nursery,  as  far  removed 
as  possible  from  the  others,  for  their  exclusive  use;  and  even  here  there 
is  some  danger  that  the  bees  may  find  them,  and  I  cannot  be  absolutely 
sure  of  all  those  grown  from  them,  so  I  make  it  a  practice  to  secure  fresh 
seed  every  year  or  two. 

There  is  one  of  deepest,  darkest  blue,  so  much  so  it  is  almost  black. 
It  is  a  large,  solid  flower.  It  has  no  spurs  whatever.  It  is  quilled  like 
the  Dahlia.  Another  is  salmon  pink  lined  with  white,  a  gorgeous  flower, 
and  the  blooms  hang  like  lamps  in  a  chandelier  around  the  parent  stem. 
Here  is  one  that  is  a  large,  compact,  snowy  white.  It  is  a  full  and  prod- 
igal bloomer,  and  near  it  is  a  single  white,  well  spurred.  In  close  prox- 
imity is  one  of  deep  blue,  a  single  flower,  with  long,  slender  spurs,  much 
like  the  Coerelia,  to  which  it  probably  owes  its  parentage.  In  the  cross- 
ing it  doubtless  got  enough  of  the  blue  from  one  of  those  of  deep  azure 
to  eliminate  the  white. 

Yonder  is  a  double  maroon  on  a  strong  stem,  and  its  color  blends 
well  with  the  garments  of  its  neighbors.  Here  is  a  large,  double  pink 
of  curious  form,  shaped  like  a  tiny  barrel.  One  is  lilac  color  and  semi- 
double.  In  short  in  color  there  are  samples  of  the  shades  of  almost  all 
known  to  us.  There  is  a  tall,  independent  one,  a  sort  of  a  blend  of  blue 
and  maroon,  lilac  and  rose  color,  showing  that  the  pollen  of  several  dif- 
ferent ones  had  entered  into  combination  to  form  one  so  fresh  and  rare. 


56  C.  $.  garrison's 

Time  would  fail  to  describe  them  all.  The  Golden  is  less  liable 
than  others  to  enter  into  crosses.  One  reason  is  that  it  is  so  much  later, 
and  yet  there  are  several  that  show  its  influence,  and  many  of  the  golden 
ones  have  been  somewhat  swerved  from  their  distinct  form.  These  flow- 
ers commence  blooming  with  the  Tulips,  and  continue  to  flower  for  two 
months,  while  the  Chrysantha  will  break  out  now  and  then  all  summer. 
Imagine  if  you  can  a  blend  of  these  charming  colors  in  a  mass  of  several 
hundred,  some  early,  others  late,  some  single  and  many  double,  many  of 
them  tall  and  others  dwarfs.  In  color  from  purest  white  to  deepest  pur- 
ple. 

There  is  a  Columbine  Society  at  Boston,  hard  at  work  to  have  these 
adopted  as  the  national  flower.  They  are  Aquilegia,  related  to  our  bird 
of  freedom.  They  are  Columbines,  which  sounds  something  like  our 
own  Columbia.  Then  we  have  quite  a  number  of  native  varieties.  So 
the  society  is  making  a  strong  plea.  Many  designs  in  decorations  are 
taken  from  these  flowers.  And  as  one  of  the  states  has  adopted  one  of 
the  family  as  its  own  flower,  this  may  be  the  beginning,  and  perhaps  ul- 
timately the  Union  may  follow  one  of  our  richest  states. 

HOW  TO  GROW  THEM. 

Get  a  quantity  of  mixed  seed  and  sow  early  in  the  spring.  The 
seeds  are  small,  and  of  course  must  be  planted  shallow.  But  here  is  the 
trouble,  especially  in  the  west  —  the  ground  dries  before  the  seed  can 
germinate.  Contrive  some  way  to  keep  the  surface  wet  all  the  while,  day 
and  night,  till  they  come  up.  But  you  had  better  trust  to  experts,  who 
make  it  their  business,  and  buy  the  plants,  which  can  be  had  at  very 
reasonable  rates,  three  to  ten  dollars  a  hundred,  and  thus  save  a  good 
deal  of  care  and  vexation  and  a  year's  growth,  as  they  will  bloom  some 
the  first  season.  Put  in  rows  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  apart,  and 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  in  the  row,  and  they  will  soon  stool  out  and 
cover  the  ground.  It  is  best  to  mulch  well  with  coarse  manure  after  the 
ground  freezes,  and  in  the  spring  rake  it  between  the  rows.  I  do  not  al- 
ways take  this  trouble,  for  they  are  very  hardy.  If  the  season  is  wet, 
some  of  the  seeds,  as  they  fall,  may  grow,  and  thus  extend  the  area. 
The  seeds  have  great  vitality.  Some  sow  them  in  'he  fall.  Columbines 
are  used  a  good  deal  for  cut  flowers,  though  they  are  not  as  good  keep- 
ers as  Paeonys.  They  are  in  season  on  the  nation's  great  flower  day, 
when  we  decorate  the  graves  of  our  dead.  Some  late  springs  they  are 
about  the  only  out  door  flower  we  can  use,  as  was  the  case  in  1904,  when 
they  were  in  the  full  glory  of  their  bloom  in  great  masses. 

So  plant  Columbines.  There  should  be  a  flower  procession  from 
the  opening  of  the  Tulips  to  the  hard  frosts  of  autumn,  and  these  should 
have  a  prominent  place.  The  more  you  have  of  them  the  more  you  will 
admire  them,  and  when  you  get  well  acquainted  with  them  you  could  not 
get  along  without  them. 


Delphiniums 

In  our  search  for  hardy  perennials  we  have  found  this  among  the 
most  showy  and  beautiful.  If  you  travel  in  the  Rockies  you  will  meet 
these  flowers  in  all  their  glory.  In  the  rich  valleys  you  often  see  them 


PINK  PAEONY.    MODEL  de  PERFECTION 
By  Kindness  of  W.  A.  Peterson 


GAILLARDIA     GRANDIFORA 


Pawny  manual 


57 


six  or  seven  feet  high,  and  the  tall,  strong  stem  lined  with  a  covering  of 
flowers  of  deepest  blue. 

This  flower,  sometimes  called  the  Larkspur,  has  been  much  im- 
proved. In  the  Boston  flower  shows  I  have  seen  gorgeous  specimens  of 
grand,  radiant  flowers  which  seemed  at  great  remove  from  our  native 
plants.  These  tall  ones  are  clothed  with  the  splendor  of  sapphire,  and 
so  intense  is  the  color  it  would  seem  as  though  all  the  shadings  and  tint- 
ing which  could  be  extracted  were  there  in  a  marvelous  blending.  I  have 
some  very  rich  specimens,  which  draw  the  attention  of  visitors.  They 
are  about  six  feet  tall.  Some  are  like  great  posts  frescoed  with  bloom; 
others  are  branching,  and  all  are  grand.  They  follow  hard  after  the 
Paeonys,  and  bridge  the  chasm  between  them  and  the  Phloxes. 

Over  in  England  they  have  made  great  improvements  in  these  flow- 
ers. By  careful  selection  and  hybridizing  they  have  secured  a  race  far 
superior  to  our  native  sorts.  But  though  these  choice  strains  may  do 
well  in  the  milder  climate  of  that  country,  they  do  not  winter  well  with 
us.  But  we  have  such  a  rich  variety  there  is  no  reason  why  we  also  can- 
not improve,  and  thus  secure  hardiness  with  beauty. 

» 

I  give  the  following  as  an  English  tribute  to  this  flower: 

DELPHINIUMS. — As  permanent  subjects  in  the  hardy  flower  garden 
we  have  few  plants  more  worthy  of  special  attention  than  the  Del- 
phiniums. For  producing  a  striking  display  over  a  long  season  they  are 
probably  unique.  For  general  effect  in  groups  or  beds  they  are  extreme- 
ly valuable  as  a  whole,  but  one  is  easily  carried  away  on  closer  inspec- 
tion by  the  exquisite  beauty  of  their  flowers,  particularly  those  with  clear, 
sky-blue  shades.  Indeed,  they  have  many  points  of  excellence,  any  one 
of  which  alone  should  entitle  them  to  popularity.  But  to  appreciate 
their  beauty  one  must  see  them  growing,  for  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
convey  anything  like  an  adequate  idea  of  their  worth  by  mere  descrip- 
tion, and  it  is  equally  impossible  to  place  their  towering  and  densely- 
flowered  spikes  before  the  public  at  the  summer  exhibitions  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  them.  Those  who  have  not  the  opportunity  of  seeing  these 
plants  in  flower,  or  a  collection  of  them  well  established,  may  form  some 
idea  of  a  group  with  the  flower  spikes  five  to  eight  feet  high,  and  densely 
clothed  for  about  half  their  length  with  exquisitely  beautiful  blooms.  Of 
course  the  plants  do  not  reach  such  perfection  in  the  first  year,  but  in  the 
second  year  they  certainly  constitute  the  grandest  possible  display. 
While  making  the  garden  gay  for  a  long  season,  they  are  in  the  greatest 
perfection  in  June  and  July,  but  a  judicious  selection  of  them  may  some- 
what extend  that  period.  Where  seed  is  not  required  the  plants  should 
be  cut  down  as  soon  as  flowering  is  over,  and  in  the  late  summer  months 
many  of  them  will  yield  another  set  of  spikes,  not  so  fine,  of  course,  as 
the  first  ones.  The  shades  of  blue,  both  light  and  dark,  are  very  numer- 
ous; others,  again,  have  flowers  of  the  deepest  indigo  and  violet,  while 
less  numerous  are  those  with  bronzy  and  metallic  hues  combined  with 
other  shades. — Gardening  Illustrated. 

& 

I  here  give  place  for  an  excellent  article  from  E.  Hemming,  in 
Florists'  Exchange  of  July  9,  1904: 


58  €.  $.  garrison's 

Among  hardy  perennials  the  Delphinium,  or  Perennial  Larkspur, 
has  held  front  place  for  the  past  two  weeks.  Closely  following  the  late 
varieties  of  Paeonys,  they  stand  out  as  the  most  showy  border  plants 
blooming  at  the  present  time.  A  good,  large  collection  of  these  plants 
is  a  sight  to  be  remembered,  especially  when  well  grown  and  cared  for. 
The  exquisite  shades  of  blue  have'to  be  seen  to  be  appreciated  While 
the  named  kinds  grown  so  extensively  in  England  soon  die  out  and  re- 
quire great  care  to  perpetuate  them  in  this  country,  they  are  so  easily 
grown  from  seed,  and  so  invariably  give  good  results  if  a  good  strain  of 
seed  is  procured,  that  they  should  be  better  known  among  florists.  A 
visit  among  the  gardens  along  the  Hudson  revealed  the  fact  that  they 
grow  exceptionally  well  in  that  locality,  and  spikes  towering  up  to  eight 
and  nine  feet  high  were  not  at  all  uncommon. 

Delphinium  Elatum,  or  Exalatum,  is  a  native  of  North  America. 
This  is  supposed  to  be  the  origin  of  the  tall  garden  varieties,  of  ten  called 
English  Delphiniums,  that  have  been  so  much  improved  by  Kelway  and 
other  nurserymen. 

Delphinium  Formosum  is  of  more  branching  habit,  seldom  exceed- 
ing the  height  of  three  feet,  but  a  prime  favorite,  owing  to  its  beautiful 
color,  which  is  a  combination  of  indigo,  violet  and  sky  blue. 

D.  Grandiflorum,  or  Chinense,  as  it  is  often  called,  is  a  very  fine 
cut-leaved  kind,  having  several  varieties. 

All  the  above  are  good,  and  well  worth  growing,  being  useful  for 
cutting  and  attractive  in  every  way,  and  the  same  treatment  will  suit  them 
all. 

Of  course  it  is  necessary  to  propagate  named  kinds  by  division  or 
cuttings.  This  should  be  done  in  the  very  early  spring.  Growing  them 
from  seed,  however,  is  the  most  satisfactory  way.  D  Formosum  and 
D.  Grandiflorum  come  fairly  true  from  seed,  producing  very  few  poor 
forms  if  the  seed  is  procured  from  a  reliable  source.  The  seed  should 
be  fresh,  as  it  seems  to  lose  its  germinating  power  very  rapidly.  Sown 
in  early  spring,  it  will  produce  plants  that  will  flower  the  first  year.  Of 
course  the  flower  spikes  are  not  very  large,  but  sufficiently  so  to  select 
the  best  to  plant  out  in  the  position  they  are  wanted  to  fill.  When  in  a 
young  state  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  snails,  as 
these  pests  seem  passionately  fond  of  the  plants,  and  will  make  sad  havoc 
of  them  in  a  short  time. 

Quite  a  percentage  of  Kelway's  hybrids  will  come  double  from  seed, 
but  it  is  an  open  question  if  the  double  forms  are  superior  to  the  single 
ones. 

As  regards  the  after  treatment,  or  when  they  are  planted  in  the  open 
ground,  deep,  generous  cultivation  and  good,  rich  soil  is  what  they  like; 
and,  when  planting,  see  that  the  crowns  are  well  below  the  surface  of  the 
soil;  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  is  not  too  much.  As  soon  as  the 
plants  have  done  flowering,  unless  they  are  wanted  for  seed,  the  flower 
stems  should  be  cut  down.  This  will  induce  a  second  crop  of  flowers. 
While  perhaps  not  equal  to  the  first  crop,  they  will  be  found  to  be  well 
worth  looking  after. 

Jf 

The  seeds  of  this  plant  are  quite  small,   and  it  is  very  difficult  to 


Paeon v  manual  59 

germinate  them,  as  the  ground  dries  up  while  they  are  sprouting.  It  is 
perhaps  as  well  to  get  the  plants  in  the  spring  and  give  them  the  best  of 
care.  They  will  bloom  in  good  season. 

Intense  blue  among  flowers  is  a  striking  color,  and  is  needed  to 
cover  the  range  of  beauty.  Many  of  our  choicest  families,  like  the 
Paeony  and  Rose,  avoid  that  color  altogether.  But  when  you  see  the 
Delphinium  in  all  its  glory,  with  those  rich  tints,  and  all  the  delicate  pen- 
ciling and  tracing  done  with  nature's  most  skillful  touch,  you  will  feel 
that  you  have  the  link  you  need  in  the  chain  of  beauty. 


The  signification  is  flame,  on  account  of  the  brilliancy  of  the  flow- 
ers. In  the  early  days  of  Illinois,  we  used  to  see  great  fields  of  these 
plants  in  the  fulness  of  their  beauty.  Along  in  the  fifties  I  used  to  ride 
over  the  vast  prairies  of  Minnesota,  where  there  would  be  great  flower 
gardens  of  thousands  of  acres,  which  filled  the  air  with  their  fragrance; 
and  the  tonic  of  the  fresh  air  laden  with  perfume,  and  the  immense  fields 
of  growing  beauty  would  bring  a  new  zest  to  life. 

In  the  Yellowstone  Park  there  is  a  beautiful  creeping  Phlox,  which 
blooms  in  spite  of  the  frosts.  It  spreads  out  in  clusters,  often  covering 
the  rocks.  It  is  flesh,  or  light  pink,  in  color,  and  a  very  attractive 
flower. 

The  Phlox  is  a  native  of  North  America.  It  was  taken  to  Europe, 
and  in  the  hands  of  florists  there,  it  has  shown  variations  of  form  and 
color  that  are  amazing.  Its  cultivation  has  great  possibilities  for  the 
amateur.  The  family  is  so  large  and  the  variations  so  extensive  that  hy- 
bridization is  yet  going  on.  Securing  some  of  the  finest  foreign  ones,  I 
find  the  seed  from  them  will  often  produce  new  varieties  as  choice  as 
many  of  those  imported.  Their  improvement  and  development  has 
reached  that  stage  where,  with  a  little  care,  we  can  have  a  marvelous  di- 
versity in  form  and  color.  Plant  the  choice  varieties  by  themselves; 
save  the  seed,  planting  it  under  a  screen  in  the  fall,  and  you  stand  a 
chance  of  securing  the  same.  Of  course  if  you  raise  for  the  market  you 
should  wait  till  they  flower,  and  eliminate  everything  not  up  to  the  pa- 
rental pattern. 

The  Paniculata.      Is  a  strong  growing  native  variety. 

The  Maculata.  Is  of  a  more  dwarfish  habit.  These  two  have  been 
hybridized  by  European  florists,  till  now  we  have  perhaps  a  hundred 
choice  kinds. 

The  Divaricata.      Is  yet  another  variety  of  our  natives. 

Phlox  Drummondi.  Was  found  growing  in  Texas  by  a  botanical 
collector,  Mr.  Drummond.  He  sent  the  seed  home,  but  soon  after  died 
of  the  fever,  so  this  variety,  which  is  an  annual,  was  named  from  him. 
This  has  been  greatly  improved,  and  it  is  claimed  that  some  of  the  finest 
perennials  have  a  strain  of  the  Drummondi.  The  plants  should  have  the 
best  of  care.  They  need  water  in  hot,  dry  weather.  I  have  known  them 
to  stand  up  well  under  no  in  the  shade,  with  the  hot  wind  raging,  pro- 
vided they  had  plenty  of  water. 

You  have  the  time  of  blooming  under  absolute  control,  if  you  have 


60  C.  $.  garrison's 

a  large  bed.  When  they  are  six  inches  to  a  foot  high  mow  off  a  portion. 
This  retards  them,  and  you  can  vary  this  method  to  fit  the  time  you  wish 
them  to  flower.  Again,  you  may  have  a  bed  a  year  old.  These,  if  un- 
disturbed, will  bloom  early.  Then  will  come  the  fall  planted  ones,  a 
little  later  in  blooming.  Then  those  planted  in  the  spring.  Lastly  those 
grown  from  seed  will  take  the  remainder  of  the  season,  till  the  hard 
frosts  of  autumn. 

The  ground  should  be  rich  and  well  cultivated.  The  last  of  Octo- 
ber is  perhaps  the  best  time.  They  should  be  well  mulched  for  the  win- 
ter. They  should  not  stand  more  than  two  or  three  years  before  divid- 
ing and  replanting.  The  heads  have  a  curious  formation.  One  set  of 
flowers  bloom  and  fall,  and  then  another  set,  like  reserves  in  an 
army,  push  out  and  take  their  places,  and  thus  this  relay  comes  on  for 
weeks,  keeping  up  a  fresh,  imposing  mass  of  bloom. 

SOME  OF  THE  VARIETIES.  -  THE  WHITE. 

Independence.  Is  a  full,  snowy  white,  one  of  the  early  ones.  It  is 
a  free  bloomer  and  quite  attractive. 

Jeanne  d'  Arc.      Is  massive,  fine  and  late,  a  great  mass  of  purity. 

The  Pearl.      Is  another  very  fine  one. 

But  the  grandest  of  all  is  Fraulein  G.  Von  Lessburg.  This  is  far 
in  advance  of  any  white  one  yet  produced.  The  flowers  are  of  glowing, 
sheeny  whiteness,  and  are  of  immense  size,  sometimes  measuring  nearly 
two  inches  in  diameter.  These  are  very  rare,  and  so  are  quite  expensive. 
But  in  this  superb  variety  you  have  the  very  triumph  of  horticulture, 
showing  the  wide  contrast  between  this  new  creation  and  the  original 
stock. 

Coquelicot.  Is  French  for  poppy.  This  is  flaming,  bright,  orange 
scarlet,  almost  the  color  of  the  brilliant  oriental  poppy.  They  are  the 
brightest  of  all,  but  our  hot  suns  are  most  too  much  for  them.  They 
should  have  some  shelter  from  the  fierce  heat  of  July. 

Crepuscule.  Has  a  flower  larger  than  a  silver  dollar.  It  has  a 
compact,  massive  head,  as  though  it  was  one  large  blossom.  The  blooms 
are  white,  with  violet  shade,  and  a  large,  bright,  carmine  purple  eye. 

Huxley.      Is  violet  purple,  with  a  large  center  of  pure  white. 

Esperence.  Has  a  lovely  shade  of  light  lavender  pink,  with  great 
lustrous  eyes  of  white;  compact,  a  free  bloomer,  and  very  beautiful. 
The  head  is  like  a  great,  solid,  symmetrical  cone  of  beautiful  shadings. 

Cross  of  Honor.  This  is  not  a  large  flower,  but  is  very  peculiar, 
on  account  of  each  petal  having  a  clearly  defined  cross. 

Eclaireur.  Has  flowers  of  immense  size.  They  are  bright  violet 
purple,  dazzling  in  their  splendor.  In  the  center  are  marks  and  stars. 
This,  by  some,  is  considered  the  finest  of  all.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest. 
The  stem  is  dwarf,  but  not  the  flower. 


Che  Gaillardia 

This  perennial  is  beginning  to  receive  much  attention,  and  with  rea- 
son. There  is  no  plant  so  susceptible  of  improvement.  In  England  the 
Kelways  have  made  marvelous  success  as  regards  size  and  color.  They 


Pacony  manual  61 

have  produced  some  five  inches  across.  A  bed  of  them  presents  a  very 
lively  and  brilliant  appearance.  They  are  marvelous  bloomers.  I  doubt 
if  there  is  any  flower  which  can  give  such  an  abundance  of  continuous 
bloom  as  these.  Commencing  in  June,  they  are  clothed  in  beauty  until 
the  hard  frosts  of  Autumn.  They  endure  dry  weather  well,  and  seem 
hardy  every  way.  As  cut  flowers  they  are  brilliant  and  showy  and  among 
the  longest  keepers. 

Unlike  most  perennials,  which  require  two  years  to  come  into  flower, 
these,  if  sown  in  early  spring,  are  clothed  with  a  mantle  of  bloom  in  July. 
They  need  heavy  mulching  with  coarse  manure  when  the  ground  freezes. 
It  would  be  as  well  to  leave  the  tops  on  and  throw  the  mulching  on  them, 
thus  giving  ventilation  as  well  as  protection.  The  seeds  grow  readily. 
A  portion  can  be  started  in  the  house  and  then  set  out  after  danger  of 
frost  is  over.  Of  course  it  is  better  to  get  the  plants,  but  the  roots  are 
small,  compared  to  the  upper  growth,  and  seem  insignificant.  Seed 
sown  in  the  open  germinates  readily,  and  the  plants  become  very  vigor- 
ous and  commence  to  bloom  as  soon  as  large  enough.  These  flowers 
you  can  depend  on.  Others,  like  Roses,  Paeonys  and  Lilies,  have  their 
season  and  pass  on.  But  the  Gaillardias  take  all  the  season,  and  when 
others  fail,  you  can  count  on  them.  Though  new  to  most  people,  I  find 
they  take  well  when  ordinary  floral  displays  are  needed. 

We  have  a  Gaillardia  growing  wild  in  the  valley  of  the  Republican 
River.  I  have  some  growing,  but  they  are  not  in  bloom. 

The  Grandiflora.  Is  a  fine,  large  flower.  In  color  it  is  madder, 
maroon  and  gold,  often  with  other  tints.  Some  will  have  very  open 
faces  and  others  will  have  petals  compressed  at  the  base  and  expanded 
in  the  outer  rim.  It  is  easy  to  see  how,  with  such  a  variety  of  form  and 
color,  selections  can  be  made,  and  they  can  be  increased  in  size.  The 
English  have  pushed  things  so  far  that  the  most  highly  developed  ones 
are  not  hardy.  I  think  perhaps  if  these  gorgeous  ones  were  crossed 
with  our  own  natives,  we  might  have  some  of  hardier  strains.  Should 
you  ever  get  imported  ones,  I  would  advise  you  to  take  up  the  roots  in 
the  fall  and  store  in  boxes  of  earth  till  spring.  I  had  quite  a  quantity, 
and  even  heavy  mulching  did  not  save  them. 

The  Amblydon  Gaillardia.  Is  an  open-faced  single  one  of  deep, 
blood  red.  This  seems  quite  vigorous.  I  have  had  seed  sown  in  the 
open  to  make  plants  that  bloomed  well  in  July.  Their  brilliant  color 
makes  them  very  attractive. 

The  Picta  Lorenziana.  Is  a  double  flower  with  a  full  cushion,  rich- 
ly variegated,  and  the  intermingling  of  colors  makes  it  very  effective.  As 
a  cut  flower  it  is  a  very  long  keeper. 

Aurora  Borealis.  Has  rays  of  gold,  crimson  and  white,  making  it 
very  showy. 

Coccinea.      Is  scarlet 

These  are  the  varieties  which  we  mostly  use.  Plant  in  masses, 
either  mixed  or  otherwise.  Never  depend  on  a  single  plant  to  cheer  up 
a  whole  yard.  I  do  not  know  of  any  flower  which  will  give  such  bounti- 
ful returns  for  the  labor  bestowed,  or  that  will  produce  more  cheer  of 
such  long  duration.  In  your  collection,  don't  leave  this  out.  I  often 
have  blooms  of  the  Grandiflora  over  three  inches  across,  and  as  no  two 


62  c.  s.  garrison's 

plants  have  flowers  exactly  alike  in  form  and  color,  you  have  a  charm- 
ing diversity  in  both  form  and  tints. 

As  you  look  over  a  bed  of  these  different  kinds,  you  note  striking 
variations,  both  in  form  and  color.  For  instance,  in  the  double  ones, 
some  will  be  dark,  some  lighter,  and  some  golden.  By  saving  and  plant- 
ing seeds  of  these  various  types,  you  will  soon  have  distinct  strains. 

Among  the  Grandiflora  some  are  large  and  some  small.  By  sowing 
the  seed  of  the  largest,  you  can  soon  increase  the  size.  The  process  can 
be  hurried,  for  you  can  raise  two  crops  a  year.  For  instance,  those  you 
carry  over  winter  will  seed  so  early  that  you  can  raise  another  set  of 
plants,  under  screen,  the  same  year.  Even  these  raised  from  seed  in 
the  spring-time  will  produce  seed  in  July,  which  can  be  sown,  and  these 
will  make  nice  plants  for  the  following  year.  So,  by  watching  them 
closely,  you  can  increase  them  rapidly,  and  soon  have  a  wide  variation 
in  form  and  color.  And  there  is  certainly  an  intense  fascination  in  this 
calling  of  new  forms  out  of  the  unknown. 


CDC  City 

There  are  about  fifty  species  of  this  glorious  flower,  ranging  in  size 
from  the  attractive  little  Tenuifolium  to  the  immense  Giganteum,  which 
must  have  five  years  to  complete  bulb,  which  throws  up  a  stem  six  inches 
through  and  ten  feet  high. 

There  is  also  a  wide  range  in  the  time  of  flowering,  which  covers  a 
good  portion  of  the  summer.  It  is  not  practical  to  secure  the  whole  of 
this  family,  but  enough  of  the  leading  kinds  can  be  planted  to  have  a 
cheering  variety. 

One  trouble  has  been  in  understanding  them — their  nature  and 
needs.  Siberian  lilies  are  covered  deep  with  snow  in  winter,  so  are 
those  of  the  Rockies,  and  the  natives  of  Minnesota  and  the  North. 
There  are  fine  ones  growing  in  the  woods  of  Canada.  All  these  are 
carefully  covered  up  with  the  snow  mantle  in  winter,  and  this  is  the  best 
covering  ever  devised  yet.  Now,  take  these  same  plants  from  their  own 
habitat  and  plant  them  on  the  open,  bleak  prairies  of  the  West  and  many 
of  them  will  perish.  The  bare  ground  freezes  deep.  They  are  often 
planted  shallow,  and  so  they  die  for  want  of  protection.  Many  are  so 
hardy  they  will  endure  anything. 

This  is  true  of  the  Hemorocallis  family  and  some  others. 

Generally,  the  soil  is  not  prepared  thoroughly  enough,  and  they  are 
not  planted  deep  enough.  Some  dig  a  trench,  put  manure  in  the  bot- 
tom, then  some  fine  earth,  then  plant  a  foot  deep,  and  cover  with  sand 
or  light  earth,  so  the  plant  can  readily  push  its  way  up. 

C.  L.  Allen,  in  a  recent  work,  gives  the  following  directions:  "To 
prepare  a  proper  home  for  the  Lily  the  soil  should  be  thrown  out  to  the 
depth  of  two  feet.  Then,  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench,  put  six  inches 
of  cow  manure;  then  put  on  twelve  inches  of  well  rotted  sod;  on  this 
put  two  inches  of  clean  sand;  then  plant  the  bulbs  and  cover  with  fine 
earth.  But  for  the  western  prairies  this  is  not  deep  enough."  From  my 
own  experieuce,  I  think  a  depth  of  eight  to  twelve  inches  is  preferable 
Only  be  careful  of  the  kind  of  earth  with  which  you  cover  them.  If  you 


Pacony  manual  63 

put  on  stiff  clay  it  will  be  hard  for  them  to  bore  their  way  through. 
Light  earth,  mixed  with  old  and  thoroughly  pulverized  manure,  should 
be  used.  In  no  case  allow  the  bulbs  to  touch  fresh  manure.  Then, 
when  winter  comes,  put  on  about  six  inches  of  coarse  manure.  In  this 
way  you  will  obtain  protection  for  your  bulbs,  and,  though  the  ground 
may  freeze,  they  will  not  be  near  enough  to  "all  out  of  doors"  to  hurt 
them.  The  bulb,  like  that  of  the  Paeony,  carries  the  life  and  sustenance 
of  the  plant. 

Cared  for  in  the  way  described,  the  lilies  will  retain  their  vigor,-  and 
all  up  and  down  the  stem  new  bulbs  will  form.  Never  plant  them  on  wet 
ground.  Though  trey  need  water  in  a  dry  time,  they  cannot  endure  wet  feet. 

I  think  there  is  no  soil  better  for  their  propagation  than  our  rich, 
light,  prairie  loam.  Here  they  bloom  gloriously,  and  propagate  freely. 

THE  TIME  TO  PLANT. 

The  Candidum,  or  Annunciation  Lily,  with  its  bloom  of  purest  white, 
should  be  planted  in  its  dormant  condition,  which  is  the  last  of  August  and 
the  first  of  September.  After  a  brief  period  of  rest  it  begins  to  grow,  and 
produces  quite  a  tuft  of  foliage  before  winter  sets  in.  We  cannot 
speak  to  o  highly  of  this  exquisitely  beautiful  flower.  It  is  often  used  for 
forcing,  to  produce  flowers  for  Easter.  Its  purity  of  whiteness  and  de- 
lightful fragrance  make  it  a  favorite.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  a  hard 
plant  to  raise.  I  have  planted  them,  when  badly  grown,  as  late  as  Oc- 
tober, and  they  did  well,  in  spite  of  the  shock  of  moving  at  the  wrong 
time. 

The  Lily  should  not  remain  out  of  ground  long  before  planting,  and 
must  never  be  allowed  to  dry.  There  is  a  great  advantage  in  securing 
home-grown  instead  of  imported  ones,  for,  unless  properly  packed,  they 
must  suffer  for  being  so  long  out  of  ground. 

Some  kinds  do  best  with  partial  shade,  while  others  flourish  in  the 
open.  I  have  a  grand  one  from  the  North  Carolina  mountains,  sent  out 
by  Fred  Kelsey.  It  does  not  do  well  in  the  open;  it  does  not  grow  so 
tall  or  flower  so  freely  as  those  under  partial  screen  and  good  surround- 
ing shelter.  These  grow  to  be  seven  feet  high,  with  glorious  clusters  of 
freckled  yellow  flowers.  They  have  a  rich,  soft  coloring,  and  give  them 
forest  or  native  conditions,  with  plenty  of  water  in  a  dry  time,  and  they 
will  be  all  you  can  ask  for. 

The  beautiful  Golden  Funkai,  or  Day  Lily,  is  an  early  one.  It  has 
a -clear,  yellow  color.  There  is  a  another,  much  taller  and  later,  which 
is  very  satisfactory. 

One  of  the  hardiest,  most  showy,  as  well  as  attractive,  is  the  Ele- 
gans.  It  blooms  along  with  the  Paeonys,  and  goes  into  the  wholesale 
business,  covering  the  whole  plant  with  a  mantle  of  bloom.  These  prop- 
agate readily;  the  stem  underground  has  a  string  of  bulblets  on  it.  Dig 
up  the  whole;  plant  the  larger  ones  for  next  year's  flowering,  and  the 
small  ones  for  another  year's  growth. 

Then  come  the  double  and  single  Tiger  Lilies.  These  are  very 
robust,  hardy  and  prolific  of  bloom.  Up  and  down  the  stem  tiny' bulbs 
are  attached,  about  the  size  of  blackberries.  Do  you  wish  to  multi- 
ply them  as  rapidly  as  possible?  Then  cut  off  these  stems  as  carefully 
as  possible,  so  as  not  to  shatter  off  the  tiny  bulblets,  and  plant  them  in 
good,  light  soil,  covering  about  two  or  three  inches  deep.  The  embryo 


64  €.  $.  garrison's 

bulbs  seem  to  feed  on  the  stem,  and  in  the  spring  they  come  up  good 
and  strong.  It  takes  a  couple  or  years  or  so  for  them  to  be  large  enough 
to  flower. 

The  Pardanthus  Chinensis  or  Leopard  Flower  rather  belongs  to  the 
Iris  family,  yet  it  is  called  the  Blackberry  Lily.  It  is  rather  late,  blos- 
soming in  mid-summer.  It  has  a  very  pretty  little  flower,  and  when  that 
is  gone  a  blackberry  takes  its  place,  continuing  the  attraction  of  he 
plant.  These  berries  hang  on  a  long  time.  If  you  wish  for  moreof 
these  flowers,  plant  the  blackberries  in  the  spring,  and  they  will  grow 
readily. 

The  Plantain  Lily.  Grows  to  have  very  large  stools  of  beautiful 
foliage.  They  have  snowy  white  blossoms,  very  much  like  the  Candidum. 
They  bloom  in  August. 

The  Homerocallis.  Are  strong  plants.  These  do  not  have  bulb- 
ous roots,  but  are  propagated  by  root  separation,  and  also  by  seeds. 

The  Tenuifolia.  Is  the  sweetest  and  daintiest  of  all.  Charming 
blooms  hang  like  chandeliers  around  the  stem.  These  roots  are  edible, 
and  the  traveler  in  the  woods  of  Siberia  finds  a  plant  with  a  charming 
flower  at  one  end  and  a  potato  at  the  other. 

Many  kinds  do  not  multiply  rapidly,  though  the  root  makes  it  up 
by  producing  seed,  which  can  be  planted  in  the  spring,  care  being  taken 
not  to  allow  them  to  dry  during  germination. 

I.  Wilkinson  Elliot,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  gives  this  description  of  a 
garden  of  Lilies: 

A  correspondent  complains  that  we  have  told  him  too  often  of  the 
lawyer's  garden;  but  it  is  still  the  best  garden  in  this  vicinity,  and  a  good 
garden  cannot  be  told  about  too  often. 

Our  friend,  the  lawyer,  has  a  garden  of  Lilies.  Many  other  things 
he  has  in  his  garden — great  banks  of  Mollis  and  Ghent  Azaleas  that  are 
worth  a  long  journey  to  see;  an  entire  hillside  is  covered  with  hybrid 
Rhododendrons  and  Kalmia  Latifolia;  Tulips,  Daffodils  and  Crocuses 
are  everywhere  in  the  spring,  and  the  glorious  show  of  Japanese  Irises 
in  June  is  a  sight  not  easily  to  be  forgotten — but  he  has  Lilies  by  the 
hundred  and  by  the  thousand,  and  in  so  many  varieties  that  from  June 
until  November  there  is  always  a  fine  display  of  Lily  flowers.  Such  a 
garden!  By  daylight  it  is  splendid,  by  moonlight  it  is  fairyland,  and  the 
air  is  filled  with  fragrance.  Such  a  garden  to  visit,  as  we  do  visit  it,  and 
travel  forty  miies  a  dozen  times  a  year,  and  come  away  with  our  arms 
filled  with  great  stalks  of  Lily  bloom.  For  this  is  a  garden  in  which 
there  are  always  flowers  to  cut  and  to  spare.  It  is  not  the  miserable 
garden  of  bedding  plants  in  which  its  owner  finds  it  difficult  to  cut  a  lit- 
tle nosegay  to  give  to  a  friend.  We  wish  you  who  are  content  to  grow 
such  commonplace  things  of  so  little  beauty  as  Cannas,  Geraniums,  Co- 
leus  and  Alternantheras,  could  visit  this  garden  of  Lilies,  and  then  say 
what  excuse  you  have  to  offer  for  your  poor  taste.  Not  that  of  cost, 
for  Lily  bulbs  are  to  be  had  for  as  little  money  as  bedding  plants,  and  as 
Lilies  are  hardy,  their  first  cost  is  their  only  cost,  while  bedding  plants 
must  be  bought  every  season. 

We  are  to  remember  this  was  written  of  the  east,  and  that  Azalias 
and  Kalmias  will  not  grow  in  the  west. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

RE<TD  WC.  OR, 

- 
SEP  12 1967! 


Form  L-9-15r»,-7,'35 


UNIVERSITY  of 

LC 

LIBRARY 


SB 

__413__jiarrlsor3 

^HF~A~ial^r 

— on-t^e- 


__ 
^cultivation  of 


;  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     001  100  276     3 


S£> 

Mb 
"?V^^ 


